21st Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

In an interview this week a prominent politician expressed his desire to get to heaven. As a Catholic priest I’m always encouraged to hear of someone’s desire to spend eternity in the presence of God. Afterall, my job is trying to encourage everyone to seek eternal life and, in the process, maybe I’ll get to heaven, too. 

In a moment of self-awareness uncharacteristic of this particular individual, he admitted to being at what he called the bottom of the totem pole. I would like to encourage him to try to move up, what he refers to as the heavenly access totem pole, and increase his possibility of being received into God’s embrace. It will do a world of good.

As the prophet Isaiah said in today’s first reading the Lord says:

I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather the nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.

God’s strongest desire is for everyone to have a strong relationship with God. God wants to share love not only with people of a certain ethnic background, citizens of a particular country, or followers of a particular partisan persuasion, but everyone with a sincere heart. 

Christians believe through the cross Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus’ obedience to God the Father offers salvation to everyone regardless of their background. Through Baptism everyone is offered the opportunity to establish their own relationship with God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus has shown us the way to heaven.

While God wants a relationship with each of us. Not everyone responds positively to God’s gift. Some people only have at best a superficial association with God. They have become complacent about it. Their connection with God is comparable to some of our social affiliations. It is like a relationship with people we might eat and drink with at a Friday evening Happy Hour. They have heard the message of the gospels but it hasn’t impacted them.

Regretfully, many Christians, Catholics among them, believe that sort of connection with God is sufficient. They might worship God in the Church occasionally, the important holidays, or when it isn’t an inconvenience to their schedule. They pray when they are desperate and at their wits end. They might offer their loose change or the smallest bill in their wallet, rather than feel embarrassment, as a donation to charity. They won’t let the message of Jesus impact their lives.

In today’s gospel Jesus points out people with that sort of attitude will find themselves locked out of the Kingdom of God. Those with only a superficial relationship with God and a half-hearted response to Jesus won’t be called to share in Heaven. Our interaction with Jesus must be that of a true friend. Our relationship with God, as Jesus taught us, must be the most important one in our lives. Our God connection must be at our center. It has to become that of a committed friendship through thick and thin. 

Jesus frequently tells his listeners to get to heaven they must follow his example and take up the cross. Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean we must suffer abuse and an excruciatingly painful death if we want to get to heaven. Although such a death experienced out of fidelity to Jesus will receive a just reward. Taking up the cross is our willingness to get to know God and to do God’s will for us. Taking up the cross is being obedient to God’s promptings in our life.

How do we establish that sort of a relationship with God? We do it through faithful daily prayer. If we commit ourselves to prayer on a daily basis, our friendship with Jesus will naturally grow. Prayer can start simple. Find a quiet place and a time of day when you can quiet yourself. It can start with as little as ten minutes. Don’t talk too much. Listen instead. Maybe reflect on a passage of scripture. Ask yourself what God might be speaking to you through God’s holy word.

As Catholics we believe the Sacraments, especially our participation in the Eucharist is essential for our growth in the love of God. At the Last Supper, Jesus promised to always be with his followers when they came to offer His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. If we are aware of serious sin we need to reconcile with God through the Sacrament of Penance. The Sacraments give us God’s grace, God’s presence in our lives to strengthen our relationship with our triune God. 

Parishioners tell me that we are doing that. Recently, a parishioner spoke to me about how his faith is growing at Holy Redeemer. He has been a parishioner for a while and seen many changes in the parish. He said to me, “Father, I used to tell people I go to Mass at Holy Redeemer, now I tell them I’m a parishioner of Holy Redeemer.” 

He was saying that previously he was a religious consumer with only a loose association and shallow commitment to the parish and his Catholic faith. He believed his church affiliation was similar to coming to get his ticket to Heaven punched. He had an obligation to fulfill if he wanted to get to Heaven and the shorter and easier he was able to do that the better. He wasn’t experiencing any growth in spiritual maturity or a deepening commitment to Jesus Christ. 

He told me, “Over the last few years we’ve been changing that culture completely at Holy Redeemer. We have worked hard to transform our parish, Father. I really appreciate how you and Deacon Art work on your homilies. You share a thoughtful, inspiring, and challenging message. The music is beautiful and we have become a community as a parish.”

The parishioner told me he is a member of one of our Small Faith Sharing groups. Small Groups are something we established over a year ago. They are where our larger Church gets smaller. He said his group has become like a family. They are comfortable with each other and inspire each other to grow in their Catholic faith. I want to invite you to consider joining a Small Faith Sharing Group. We have openings in some and are ready to start new ones as demand develops. Just call the Parish Office and we will help you sign up. 

It isn’t only seasoned parishioners who are experiencing a transformation in the parish. It is new people, too. I had a conversation recently with one. She told me, “I’ve got to admit it Father, I have been lax in faith in recent years. When my children were growing up, I taught CCD and was even a Eucharistic Minister. A couple of years ago, my husband and I moved to the summer home we’ve owned for about twenty years. We are planning to retire here. A while ago I decided to come to Mass and immediately felt the need to reconnect with the Church. 

But this isn’t about me, Father, it is about my husband. He never was much of a churchgoer in the past. He would attend Mass on the major holidays like Christmas and Easter or when the children received their sacraments. I invited him to Mass with me one Sunday. Now he wakes up on Sunday morning and is excited about coming to church. You know how you encourage us to introduce ourselves at the beginning of Mass? We have made friends with the people sitting around us. We really feel like a community. 

Holy Redeemer is becoming a real force in our Chatham community. We are helping many people deepen a relationship with God and work towards getting to heaven. I hope Holy Redeemer has become more than the place you go to Mass but your parish. 

This spring we conducted a parish survey. About a quarter of survey respondents said they have been parishioners for from 25-30 years or more. We have a solid core of parishioners. The survey also revealed that about a quarter of our members have joined the parish in the last five years or less. Holy Redeemer is a growing parish where people realize their relationship with God can grow. 

We want to continue to grow as a parish and spiritually feed the community of the Lower Cape. As our Vision Statement reads, we want Holy Redeemer to foster excellence in Christ centered worship, form parishioners in faith, evangelize, and work for social justice in our community. We want Holy Redeemer to be a beacon of faith for our area. To execute this vision, we need to be on solid financial footings. 

Our Church renovations, both physical and spiritual have moved us along that path. We want to keep going. Our buildings need to be well maintained, our parking lot safe and not a source of frustration, our support services helpful. To do that more renovations to our parish plant are being planned. 

While most of our effort will be concentrated on our main church, Holy Redeemer, Our Lady of Grace can’t be treated as a poor sister. Plans are for painting the interior, improving lighting, new carpet, and an improved audio system. Over the next three years we plan to carry out these and several other projects.

To fund them we are beginning a three-year Capital Campaign to raise $750,000. It is a hefty goal but one the Finance Committee and I feel it is attainable. In 2022, our previous Capital Campaign raised $1.2 million dollars. With the support of all parishioners, we feel confident we will reach and possibly surpass our goal.

Our 2022 campaign receiver five gifts of $100,000 to $125,000. I’m pleased to tell you one of those parishioners has already pledged a gift of $100,000 to our 2025 campaign. While we were blessed to receive several large gifts most of the campaign money was contributed in smaller amounts. Thirty parishioners gave $2,500 and roughly forty gave amounts from $1,000 to $2,500. 

The vast majority of contributors to the 2022 Capital Campaign chose not to pledge their gift but made a one-time payment. I would like to offer a challenge to those who gave the smaller gifts to consider prayerfully making a sacrificial gift. What would a truly sacrificial gift spread over three years look like? Could it be two or three times the gift you contributed in 2022? 

If you are a regular summer visitor to Chatham and come to this church you need to put some skin in the game, too. This chapel is used only during the summer months, mostly for our visitors. We do not need it on a regular basis during other parts of the year. Prayerfully consider contributing to our Capital Campaign.

Most of all I want to challenge the several hundred parishioners who didn’t contribute in 2022. I pray that over the last few years you have begun to catch the spirit of Holy Redeemer Parish. I hope it has become more evident to you the good work we can do as a parish. I pray you will become involved in this Capital Campaign.

This week registered parishioners will receive a brochure and a letter from me announcing the Capital Campaign. Please read over the brochure and see how excited several of your fellow parishioners are about participating in the Campaign. You can use the pledge card included in the brochure to make a gift, or pledge. Maybe you would like to use appreciable stock as your gift? Arrangements for such a gift can be made through Deacon Art at the parish office. Perhaps you envision making a legacy gift, remembering the parish in your estate plan? Please let us know if that is your choice. Gifts can also be made using a credit card or automatic funds transfer on our parish website. Go to www.holyredeemerchatham.org, click on the “donate” tab on the Home page and follow the instructions.

Has Holy Redeemer Parish changed your heart and soul? Have you grown in your faith over the last few years? Has your relationship with Jesus become stronger. Do you feel you might have moved up that totem pole and become closer to a place Heaven? Please join your fellow parishioners in helping our parish grow with your prayerful support for the 2025 Capital Campaign.