A Letter from Fr. Eddy

Dear Parishioners,

Last week I introduced you, somewhat, to Kate Bowler whose life was turned upside down rather suddenly by a diagnosis of terminal cancer. I did not; however, tell you much more about her. Before this tragedy, she definitely was not a budding bulb of cancer waiting to mature and metastasize as speedily as possible. Nothing could be farther from the truth! There was, for instance, no history of cancer in Kate’s family. None! So, like it or not, sometimes sickness just happens, and we cannot explain how or why. In her case, apart from the intermittent abdominal pains she felt for about three month beforehand, there was nothing to suggest that an innocuous visit to a physician would return a diagnosis of this enormity. The sheer suddenness of it caught her off-guard, ill-prepared, and ill-disposed to accept that this is God’s will for her. With her initial shock came doubt and despair, and this is not unique to her.

Kate’s faith background is also important to address, because this plays an important role in how one accepts the inevitabilities of life. Her early Christian formation was Anabaptist (Mennonite), known for the abstemious and, sometimes, pretentiously simple and frugal lifestyle of its members. This is the strain of Christianity that instinctively ‘judges’ or categorizes a person as ‘worldly’ at the slightest whiff of affluence. No wonder her curiosity was quickly ignited by the lifestyles of Pentecostal televangelists who openly exhibited opulence in the name of God, and taught their followers to follow suit. For them, wealth is a sign of God’s abundant blessing on the believer and/or reward for faith. By the same token; therefore, a believer who did not seem to have these visible indicators of God’s favor – wealth, good health, stable family, good friends, etc. – may have done something wrong, for which they have to repent and reposition themselves for divine blessings.

Kate’s academic undertaking to research the phenomenon of Prosperity Gospel turned out to be a personal quest for meaning. She needed to bridge what she saw as the yawning gap between the simplicity and frugality of her Mennonite spirituality, and what she perceived as the loud worldliness of Prosperity Gospel enthusiasts. These are two extremes that are false. Faith in Christ and His Gospel draws our attention to the Kingdom of God, and urges us to seek it (Matthew 6:33). This Kingdom is, however, both immanent and transcendent; that is to say, it is here-and-now (touchable, visible), but also yet-to-come (veiled, unfolding)! If we focus only on the immanent kingdom then we may be caught striving only/mainly for visible wealth and the comforts and assurances that come with it, as the prosperity preachers tend to display. On the other hand, if we focus only on the transcendent, we might be tempted to live as though there is nothing in this world to celebrate. A gnostic ‘simplicity of life’ that negates the divine plan for the inherent goodness of this world is unchristian!

There must be a balance struck between these two directions of our faith, the immanent and the transcendent. Yes, we are children of the Kingdom and, as such, we are beneficiaries of the superfluous merits of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. The table is here-and-now laid before us as in a feast, and we must reasonably enjoy, without forgetting God ‘from whom all good things come’ (Eucharistic Prayer 3). But at the same time, the Kingdom is not-yet. This means we must continue to work for faith by doing good, building community, and responding to God’s grace to be better people. Thus, even though salvation has already been won by the magnum opus of Jesus Christ, we must continue to work for our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), without losing confidence over its certainty.

Kate’s personal search led her to uncover what she calls a “regime of divine perfection” (p. 21) in which people can show, with concrete proofs, that their life is headed in the right direction. In this regime, “healing is a divine right, and illness is a symptom of unconfessed sin – a symptom of lack of forgiveness, unfaithfulness, unexamined attitudes, or careless words” (p. 16). From her experience of a previous illness that caused her arms to hang limp and lifeless, she read the disappointment on the faces of her ‘religious’ friends and associates. Theirs was a world in which “there is no such thing as undeserved pain. There is no word for tragedy” (p. 26). Thus she writes,

“I was no longer proof of anything that testified to the glory of God, at least not in the eyes of the people around me. I was nothing like a sign and a wonder…. Wasn’t I better than this?” (p. 19).

Kate was obviously under pressure to prove that she had not committed some terrible sin, or abandoned God, for her to be saddled with so much pain! But healing is in the hands of God, not human beings!

From the tone of her book, Kate protests a society and culture undergirded by the Prosperity Gospel mentality of showing and telling. In a culture overhung with ideas of fairness, where it is believed that good things really do happen to good people, and that fairness means that life rewards the good and punishes the bad, how does one explain this affliction? As far as she knows, she has not done anything wrong against anyone, or God, for that matter. Now that she has nothing to show but her limp arms in slings, she wondered if she is still God’s design and loved by Him. Should it really be like this for Christians? She asks, for instance,

“What would it mean for Christians to give up that little piece of the American Dream that says, ‘You are limitless’? ... What if rich did not have to mean wealthy, and whole did not have to mean healed? What if being people of ‘the Gospel’ meant that we are simply people with good news? God is here. We are loved. It is enough” (p. 21).

Dear Friends, I have taken time to explore the inner turmoil of Kate’s life, to show that she is, even now, still struggling to come to terms with her condition. There may be some among us who are struggling as well, with situations and conditions that they cannot understand. Whatever you may be wrestling with, the Lord says keep faithful, “and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b). May the Lord bless and keep each and all. Amen!

Fr. Edward Obi, MSP (fredward@saintmarysmanhasset.org).

Bowler, Kate. Everything Happens for a Reason (Random House, New York: 2018).

J Stewards of God’s Gifts

In today’s Gospel, we read about the faith of the Canaanite woman. Her faith in Jesus healed her daughter.

Living Stewardship ~ Pillar of Hospitality: We have an awesome God who loves us, cares for us and helps us. We can never fully grasp an understanding of how much He loves us. Let us give glory to Him by showing love and compassion to all those around us. Everyone- even the person who cut you off while driving, the neighbor who is rude, and even the family member who you haven’t spoken to in years.

The collection for Sunday, August 13, 2023 amounted to $19,029.00. The collection for Sunday, August 14, 2022 amounted to $20,652.00.

Have you enrolled yet? Visit www.faithdirect.net. Our parish code is NY281.

We Care for Our Parish Community

Baptism

We celebrate Baptism at 1:30 PM on the second Sunday of the month and at 12:30 PM on the fourth Saturday of the month as scheduled. Please call the Parish Office at least one month in advance to see if a date is available and to arrange to fill out pre-baptismal paperwork. New parents are required to attend a Baptism preparation session held once every month. Those chosen as sponsors for Baptism should lead lives in harmony with the Catholic faith and the role of Godparent.”

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At least six months before you plan to be married and before you make arrangements for the reception, please make an appointment with one of the priests to begin the necessary preparations.

Children’s Education

Saint Mary’s Elementary School offers excellent education in the spirit of the Gospel from grades N, Pre-K to Eighth grade. For information call 627-0184.

Empowering Character, Innovation and Leadership in our students, Saint Mary’s High School is a dynamic, contemporary, Catholic value-centered school, combining a commitment to academic excellence and educational innovation, with a passion for learning, and an emphasis on moral character development through the pursuit of truth and discovered in faith and reason. For information call 627-2711.

The Religious Education Program provides excellent formation in the Catholic Faith for children in public or private schools. Preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation requires two years. Classes are held at St. Mary’s for Grades 1 through 5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays

4:30-5:30 PM. Classes also meet on Sundays from 9:3010:20 AM for Grades 1 through 8 and on Mondays from 7:00-8:00 PM for Grades 6, 7 and 8. We also offer the option of an online home program for Grades 1 through 7. For information about Grades 1-8 call 627-4028 or email Mrs. Marie Granieri at releddirector@stmary.ws.

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We care for our sisters and brothers through our Parish Social Ministry and Food Pantry. For information call 365-2705.

Youth Ministry

We reach out to our teens though our Youth Ministry Program. For information email youth@stmary.ws or visit stmarysyouth.weebly.com.

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We welcome new members to the Catholic Church and to Saint Mary’s Parish. If you are new in the area or interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, please call the Parish Office.

Opportunities For Prayer

The Church is open Monday to Friday until 8:45 PM, on Saturday until the end of the 5:00 PM Mass, and on Sunday until 6:00 PM so that we may have the opportunity for quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The Miraculous Medal Novena is said each Monday following the 9:00 AM Mass. Monday to Saturday the Rosary is said following the 9:00 AM Mass. Eucharistic Adoration is held every Monday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM in the Chapel. On First Saturdays, the Scriptural Rosary is recited following the 9:00 AM Mass.