Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
HOMILY
La Festa Italiana Mass
Saint Peter’s Cathedral
September 5, 2010
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C
I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton on November 5, 1983. About eight months later, I received an invitation to concelebrate the La Festa Mass here in our Cathedral. I was pleased enough for the invitation. And each year I’d receive the invitation but noticed that many of my colleagues in the priesthood weren’t present. And then I started to inquire why they were consistently absent. And I was told that since the mass celebrated Italian heritage, while any priests were welcome, generally only the Italian priests were invited. … And then it dawned on me. … It happened again. Born in Carbondale – dark hair (at least 27 years ago!) – and a last name that certainly could pass for a son of Italy. How was Msgr. Siconolfi to know that I wasn’t raised on ravioli and soppressata but pierogi and kielbasa?
With my secret out, I was thrilled to be invited back. And by the way, thanks for inviting my friends, Father Clarke, Father Muldowney and Bishop Dougherty.
Regardless of whether we’re Italian, Polish or Irish, so much of who we are here in Scranton, in Northeastern Pennsylvania is the result of the lives and efforts of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who immigrated to this area with the dream of creating a better life for their families. I don’t doubt for a minute that as this Mass began, not a few of you had a lump in your throats as you thought of loved ones who were here last year and aren’t here today. … as you thought of your own grandfather playing the mandolin … as you remembered your mother saying her prayers in Italian because that’s how she remembered them best, even though she had mastered speaking in English.
And as I look around this splendid Cathedral, I’m struck by something else. As we reflect upon our heritage, your grandparents and mine didn’t simply bring recipes and traditions from the old country. They brought FAITH – a gift that not only transforms individual lives but links us together as brothers and sisters through generations.
Isn’t it amazing what we celebrate today – the fact that THROUGH FAITH, we are linked one to another – a family to a parish to a diocese to an archdiocese to the Universal Church and to our loved ones who have died – our saints whose spirits are so much a part of this gathering today. And we are all linked together through the Eucharist and the living presence of Jesus in our lives. What a great gift to celebrate today!
Our Gospel today couldn’t be more appropriate as we reflect upon this gathering and our faith – a gift that was planted within us because someone was willing to sacrifice for our well being.
Not long ago, I read an article about the shortage of priests – a reality to one degree or another right here in the Diocese of Scranton and throughout our country. What was fascinating about the article was the fact that the writer placed the vocation shortage in the larger context of vocation in general. Certain secular vocations are also struggling – like nursing, social work, youth work, caregivers. In other words, the collapse of certain helping vocations is a reflection of a cultural and spiritual collapse in society – a failure on the part of many to embrace a spirit of charity and compassion in their lives.
Notice that society often places emphasis primarily on attending the right school, making the right connections in order to get the right job, the big bucks and prestige. A vocational culture, on the other hand, is one in which people have a sense of being CALLED to make life better, a sense of possessing a gift to offer – a sense of MISSION – a sense of trying to improve life for oneself and others, whether or not it brings wealth and fame.
The dominance of a mentality in which we strive for material wealth and comfort as our only goal vs. a vocation is why we have shortages in many areas connected with our well being – teaching, nursing, clergy – and it’s also why we offer a baseball player 100 million dollar contract to play a game – while a caregiver who watches out for our elderly mother or father is given minimum wage.
I’m certainly not suggesting that as we struggle with such attitudes that we’re bad people. Most of us want to make some sort of difference for good in our world. We sense that there is something more to life than material things. That’s why we’re here today. But we need to be honest enough to acknowledge that often there can be an emptiness for people – for us – when we focus too much on THINGS. That’s why Jesus challenges us in the gospel today regarding our possessions – the things that seem to get our attention the most in life.
Have you ever stopped to appreciate what you’ve been given by God? I’m not talking about a new car, a raise in pay or a lottery jackpot. If you have those things, that’s great. But remember – one day every THING that you and I possess will belong to somebody else.
Have you ever stopped to appreciate what you’ve been given by God? I’m not talking about a perfect world free from pain and suffering – as much as we all pray for that. Jesus’ world wasn’t perfect. He carried a cross, even when he prayed that it would pass him by.
I am talking about the lasting things of God … the gift of life, however long or short that it may be – loving relationships with family and friends – forgiveness when we need it – faith that enables us to face each day with hope – and peace at our center, regardless of what life brings. We’ve ALL been given these gifts – haven’t we?
Once we acknowledge that we’ve been given these gifts – the question becomes: What do we do with them? Today’s Gospel and its call to the vocation of discipleship give us a clue.
At the heart of today’s Gospel Jesus essentially asks. “Do you want to be my disciple? Do you want a life of meaning and purpose – that can give you fulfillment and lasting peace?” If you do, then give someone a reason to live – love them, respect and treasure their lives, forgive them and beg their forgiveness of you, feed them, clothe them, share your faith in God with them.
EVERY ONE of us in this Cathedral is here today because somebody loved us, and fed us and forgave us and passed to us their faith in God. They likely did not say it in so many words, but they gave us such treasures because they were disciples of the Lord – because they believed in the promises of Jesus and walked in his ways.
As their sons and daughters – as those who claim for ourselves the name Christian – how can we do anything but the same?
