Last weekend there was a lot of excitement in the sports world with the US Open golf championship being played at the Black Course in Bethpage here on Long Island.  People were going early in the morning to park and get to the course, even in the rain.  Volunteers paid for what they had to wear. Spectators spent $150 per ticket to get in.  People worked hard to squeegee the rain off the greens so the professional golfers could play.  Players and fans got wet, walked through mud and put up with a lot of inconvenience to be there.  As I was looking at the final results, the players who were listed last on the money list in the paper (the 40th and 41st people) won $32,492.  That’s not bad for four days “work,” even if it was in the rain.

I enjoy playing golf, watching it on TV and reading about it. It certainly generates a lot of enthusiasm.  As I look at that situation I ask, “What can we do to get so excited about our faith?  What can we do to get so enthused about coming to mass every Sunday?”  At mass we are in the presence of someone who is much more powerful and awesome than any golfer or other athlete.  We come into the presence of God through Jesus Christ.  In today’s gospel we see two people seeking him out in their time of need.  The man called Jairus has a daughter who is at death’s door and asks Jesus to come and put his hands on her so she will be healed.  Jairus was a synagogue official.  Most of them looked at Jesus with skepticism, suspicion, doubt and disregard.  In his desperation and love for his daughter Jairus rose above these negative associations and appealed to Jesus.  The response of Jesus was immediate.  He started on the way with Jairus to the home where the daughter was.  On the way Jesus encounters another desperate person, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and had found no cure or relief despite her efforts with the doctors of her time.  As strong as her desire for relief and healing is, her faith is even stronger.   She believes that if she just touches the cloak of Jesus she will be healed.  And that is exactly what happened.  Jesus felt divine power going out of him and asked who touched him.   The woman came forward with fear and fell at Jesus’ feet admitting she was the one.  Jesus response was one of joy for him and for her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.  Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Jesus cured the woman and raised the little girl from the dead.  In both instances those seeking his help truly believed he could bring healing and life.  What excitement, enthusiasm, and joy to be noticed, acknowledged and touched by him.   This is the same Jesus who longs to touch our hearts and minds with his loving presence.  We readily turn to him in our desperate and trying moments.  In doing so we acknowledge that there are things that are beyond our control.  We do not turn to Jesus because there is no where else to turn.  We turn to him because we know he will give us what we need.  That is not always what we seek or want.  But like anyone who loves us, he knows even more what is good for us.  The healing comes when we see how we have weathered the desperate and stormy moments of life.  Those moments of light lead us to see how blessed we truly are.  Not only do we thank God for being with us in our struggles, we thank him for all that is good in our lives.  One of the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit is wonder and awe.  When we see how we are touched by Jesus we cannot help but express joyful gratitude for all that we are, the people in our lives, and the life that we have.  We do put time and energy into what is important to us.  In Jesus we see how God has put the ultimate time and energy in for us.

Last week in the second reading St. Paul expressed his joyful faith as he said, “The love of Christ impels us.”  Realizing how patient, merciful and generous he had been with his love, St. Paul is transformed not only to thank and praise God but also to be impelled and driven to love in the same way.  That is gratitude that leads to enthusiasm, joy and passion in life.  This week in the second reading St. Paul says, “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”  That is the God we worship at mass and who feeds us with his Word and very self in the sacrament of the eucharist.  How can we not be enthused, grateful and eager to be at mass.  To be touched by God is to become rich.  Jesus was not depleted or emptied of life when he gave his life on the cross for us.  It is that giving that makes both the giver and receiver truly rich and fully alive.  It is that giving that we imitate, enabling us to experience joy that only unconditional love can evoke.

This past Wednesday Fr. Peter Dugandzic, who has helped us for the past four months, left for his new assignment as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Valley Stream.  During his stay with us he also taught two courses in moral theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in the diocese of New York.  He also received his diploma as a Doctor of Moral Theology from Academia Alfonsiana in Rome.  In the name of all of us, I thank him for his priestly presence among us and congratulate him on his degree.  May God bless him in his new assignment as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church.  At this point we have no one to replace him.  Fr. Robert, who was with us last summer, is coming once again on July 3rd to help us for the summer. We look forward to his priestly presence with us.

Father Walden