The Two Surest Signs of Holiness

(Thirtieth Sunday of the Year (C): This homily was given on October 24, 2010 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read Luke 18: 9-14.)

[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Thirtieth Sunday 2010]


What are the surest signs of holiness? What, in other words, are the most reliable indicators that you are in the presence of a truly saintly person?

This is something every Catholic should know, since Jesus explicitly commands us in the gospels to be holy! But if we’re going to be holy, we need to know what holiness is. That is to say, we need to know how to recognize genuine holiness when we see it, so that we can follow the example in our own lives.

Let me share with you now Matthew Kelly’s insight on this matter, which can be found on page 66 of his book, Rediscovering Catholicism. Matthew Kelly—for the benefit those who might not recognize his name—is a young and very popular Catholic writer. His books appeal to people of all ages—and that includes teenagers. In fact, I used a story from this book a few weeks ago in our youth group, and the teens loved it.

First think of how you would respond to that question: What are the surest signs of holiness?

Here now is how Matthew Kelly would answer it:

“The surest signs of holiness are not how often a person goes to church, or how many hours a person spends in prayer, or what good spiritual books a person has read, or even the number of good works a person performs. The surest signs of holiness are an insatiable desire to improve oneself and an unquenchable concern for unholy people.”

Which pretty much explains why the Pharisee that we heard about in today’s gospel was NOT holy! Oh sure, the guy went to “church” faithfully—which for the Jews of his time meant the synagogue or the Temple; he prayed (that’s clear from the story); he fasted; and he performed acts of charity, at least to the extent of donating one-tenth of his income to worthy causes (that’s what “tithing” means).

He did all (or at least many) of the things that people normally associate with holiness, but he lacked the two most important qualities of all, according to Matthew Kelly.

I, incidentally, agree with Mr. Kelly. In fact, I think his insight here is brilliant—and brilliantly stated.

Notice the adjectives he uses here: they are very well-chosen.

The first sign of holiness, he says, is “an insatiable desire to improve oneself.”

Insatiable means “incapable of being satisfied.” Holy people—truly holy people—are never completely satisfied with their lives, spiritually or morally. In spite of the fact that they are very Christ-like, they are still very conscious of their sins—their little, nagging imperfections.

So they’re never morally complacent; they never make the mistake of thinking they’ve arrived spiritually. They are always striving to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Now this really should not surprise us, because, if you want to excel at anything in this life, you have to maintain an “insatiable desire to improve”.

The New England Patriots have been very successful in the last decade, precisely because they have consistently maintained an “insatiable desire to improve” as a football team. And it all starts with their head coach, Bill Belichick. Can you imagine Belichick calling a news conference tonight and saying to the members of the press and to the fans, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve won 3 Super Bowls since the start of the new millennium—and we’re satisfied with that. We’re happy; we’re grateful—so from now on we’re gonna do things a lot differently around here. We will only practice one day per week; we will only play Tom Brady and the other starters for one quarter per game. And we won’t put any restrictions on our players from now on. They will no longer be accountable for their actions. They can come and go as they please.”?

If Belichick ever said that—and meant it—he’d be out of a job the next day. The owner, the fans and the members of the media wouldn’t stand for it. And they shouldn’t stand for it! They know that in order to win another Super Bowl trophy, both the team and the coaching staff need to maintain “an insatiable desire” to get better, and to be the best they can be!

Can you imagine a student saying to his parents at the end of the 3rd quarter of the school year, “Mom and dad, I’ve received all A’s for three straight quarters now, so I’m sure you won’t mind if I stop studying for the 4th quarter. I’ve accomplished so much this year; I’ve been the perfect student—so, quite frankly, I think I deserve a break. In fact, I think I deserve to sleep in every morning and only go to school when—and if—I feel like it.”?

Those of you who are straight A students: try that line when the 4th quarter begins this year, and see how well it “flies” with your parents.

I guarantee you that you will not be “flying” anywhere for awhile. If your parents think you’re serious, you’ll be “grounded” for a good, long time!

And yet, let’s be honest about it, my brothers and sisters, when it comes to our spiritual and moral lives we can very easily become complacent in this way, and lose the desire to improve ourselves.

Like the Pharisee in this parable. Notice that he didn’t just lack an insatiable desire to improve himself; he had NO DESIRE AT ALL to improve himself!

Because to him there was nothing left to improve!

His big mistake here, of course, was that he compared himself with another human being, instead of comparing himself with God! He had the wrong standard!

When we compare ourselves with others, morally and spiritually, we can easily convince ourselves that we’re better than we are. When we compare ourselves with the all-perfect and all-holy Lord of the universe, however, we know we have a long way to go.

Which brings us to the second sure sign of holiness, according to Matthew Kelly: “an unquenchable concern for unholy people.”

Notice, again, the adjectives there: unquenchable and unholy. Both are extremely important.

Unquenchable is very similar to insatiable in its meaning. And notice what the object of our unquenchable concern is supposed to be: other people—but not just any old group of other people, specifically other people who are NOT holy!

It’s easy to be concerned about holy people, is it not? It’s easy to be concerned about people we like: people who are good to us; people who treat us fairly; people who treat us with respect.

Even unholy people have a genuine concern for the nice people in their lives.

But truly holy people go beyond that, and actually manifest a deep concern for the salvation and well-being of those who hate them and hurt them and treat them unfairly and disrespectfully.

And that, my dear friends—as we all know from personal experience—is not easy!

Do you think this Pharisee had any concern whatsoever in his heart for the tax collector? Well, if he did, he certainly did a great job of hiding that concern in his prayer! From all external indications, to him the tax collector was simply an object of ridicule and contempt: “Thank you, God, that I’m not like THAT guy!”

“The surest signs of holiness are an insatiable desire to improve oneself and an unquenchable concern for unholy people.”

Dear Lord, help us, by the power of your grace which we receive at this Mass (and especially in and through the Holy Eucharist)—help us to manifest these two essential qualities more completely in our daily lives, so that we will truly be holy people. Amen.

Anniversary Mass Homily

My personal reflections on my anniversary are found on my previous post. What follows here is the homily my good friend Fr. Francis J. Giudice gave at my special anniversary Mass.

Rev. Raymond N. Suriani
25th Anniversary
Homily by Rev. Francis J. Giudice

1957 WAS A SIGNIFICANT YEAR: RUSSIANS LANDED SPUTNIK ON THE MOON…, WESTERLY WON THE THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL GAME (14-9)..., and RAYMOND NICHOLAS SURIANI WAS BORN TO LOUIS & DOLORES SURIANI IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF BARRINGTON, RI.

1962 WAS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT YEAR—WHEN I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE LITTLE PARISH OF HOLY ANGELS IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF BARRINGTON, AND, INTRODUCTED TO RAYMOND AS A CANDIDATE FOR ALTAR SERVER. MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF LITTLE RAYMOND HAD TO BE A POSITIVE ONE, SINCE I HAD A HIGH REGARD FOR HIS PARENTS, BOTH OF WHOM WERE GENEROUS VOLUNTEERS IN THE PARISH: LOUIS WAS A TALENTED “MR. FIXIT”, WHO COULD REPAIR OR REPLACE ALMOST ANY BROKEN ITEM… IN HIS SPARE TIME. DOLORES WAS THE FIRST RECEPTIONIST-SECRETARY- COLLECTION COUNTER-SANDWICHMAKER—AND LATER, SHE EVEN COUNSELED PARISHIONERS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PASTOR.

SO, I ASSUMED THAT WITH THESE OUTSTANDING CATHOLIC GENES, RAYMOND WOULD EXCEL AS WELL. HIS YOUNGER SISTER, DONNA, WAS MY GOOD INFORMANT WHEN HE DIDN’T EXCEL AT HOME. PREDICTABLY, HE DID TURN OUT TO BE A REGULAR PARISH VOLUNTEER FOR MANY YEARS, EVEN AS A COLLEGIAN AT PROVIDENCE COLLEGE, DOING HIS BEST SERVICE TO THE PARISH AS A RELIGIOUS ED TEACHER, HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE PREPARE FOR THE RECEPTION OF SACRAMENTS.

IN THE YEARS AFTER I WAS REASSIGNED FROM HOLY ANGELS PARISH, I ALWAYS HAD TIME TO RETURN THERE FOR A VISIT WITH THE PASTOR AND A ROUND OF GOLF AND A GOOD ITALIAN DINNER – AND OFTEN TOOK THE OCCASION TO CHAT WITH RAYMOND, NOW A COLLEGE GRADUATE. I LEARNED THAT HE WAS TAKING THEOLOGY COURSES IN CANADA.

ONE DAY, I REMEMBER ASKING HIM HOW OLD HE WAS…AND HE REPLIED: “25” AND, THEN, I FELT THE SUDDEN URGE TO NEEDLE HIM…”AND, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? (STRONG EMPHASIS ON THE LAST TWO WORD)…, HE RESPONDED, HESITENTLY, “OH, MAYBE A LAY THEOLOGIAN…”AGAIN, I HAD THE STRONGER URGE (WHICH I’M SURE, CAME FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT) TO INSULT HIM, SAYING: “OH, WE NEED A LOT OF LAY THEOLOGIANS …OF COURSE, WE DO NEED PRIESTS – BUT YOU WOULDN’T AIM THAT HIGH – YOU PROBABLY COULDN’T MAKE IT AS A PRIEST, ANYWAY.”… I HELD MY BREATH… NOT KNOWING WHAT REACTION WOULD COME..; AND SURPRISINGLY, A CALM DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE REVEALING THAT HE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT A VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD, BUT WAS HESITANT ABOUT THE DIRECTION TO TAKE. I TOOK THAT AS AN INVITATION FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GIVE DIRECTION IN ANSWER TO ANY QUESTIONS HE POSED. AND AS HE SEEMED RECEPTIVE TO MY ANSWERS, I FELT THE THRILL OF A FISHERMAN, LANDING A BIG FISH! WITHIN A SHORT TIME, HE HAD DECIDED TO APPLY FOR THE DIOCESAN PRIESTHOOD. AND I LEARNED AGAIN THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE: “THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS IN STRANGE AND WONDERFUL WAYS”.

HE WAS ACCEPTED AS A CANDIDATE THE FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER AND SENT TO PURSUE THEOLOGICAL STUDIES AT ST. JOHN’S SEMINARY IN BRIGHTON, MASS. AFTER FOUR YEARS STUDYING PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY (HIS FAVOITE SUBJECT), SACRED SCRIPTURE, CAN0N LAW AND RELATED PASTORAL DISCIPLINES, HE WAS READY TO RETURN FOR ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD AT THE CATHEDRAL OFF SS. PETER & PAUL, WHERE, INCIDENTALLY, I WAS RECTOR FOR 21 YEARS. (I WAS SO PROUD TO HOST HIS PRIESTLY ORDINATION THERE!!)

THE DATE OF HIS ORDINATION WAS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT YEAR OF 1985; OCTOBER 12, THE DAY HONORING CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, DISCOVERER OF THE NEW WORLD. THAT DAY WE WELCOMED FATHER RAYMOND SURIANI INTO THE NEW WORLD OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. AFTER THE ORDINATION, HE GAVE ME A “LOOK…” WHICH I INERPRETED AS: AND YOU SAID I COULDN’T MAKE IT! (I’LL NEVER LIVE THAT ONE DOWN).

THE DAY OF HIS FIRST SOLEMN MASS IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF BARRINGTON UNLEASHED TORRENTS OF JOY AT THE RETURN OF THE FIRST NATIVE SON OF THE PARISH AS A PRIEST. HIS FAMILY, ESPECIALLY HIS AGED GRANDPARENTS, WHO HAD LIVED IN THE PARISH FOR OVER 50 YEARS, WERE MOVED TO THANKFUL TEARS OF JOY…

I REMEMBER PREACHING THE HOMILY THAT DAY, EMPHASING HOW GOOD GOD WAS TO GIVE US THE GIFT OF THE PRIESTHOOD, COMMISSIONING SERVANT LEADERS, TO ACT IN THE NAME AND PERSON OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. IN THE PRIESTHOOD IT SEEMS JESUS FINDS A WAY TO WALK AMONG US ONCE AGAIN: NOW, IN A CLEAR SACRAMENTAL SIGN OF HIS PRESENCE, AND A PERMANENT REMINDER OF HIS PROMISE TO REMAIN WITH US UNTIL THE END OF TIME.

FATHER RAY’S FIRST PARISH ASSIGNMENT WAS AT ST. FRANCIS DE SALES PARISH IN NORTH KINGSTOWN, WHERE HE READILY ENGULFED HIMSELF IN THE BUSY PARISH MINISTRY. I TOOK THE LIBERTY TO INQUIRE A COUPLE OF PARISHIONERS THERE TO GET THEIR ASSESSMENT OF HIS SERVICE THERE. I LEARNED THAT HE WAS “A GOOD FIT” FOR THE PARISH, EXPECIALLY WITH THE MANY YOUNGER PARISHIONERS. HE ENJOYED BEING THERE SO MUCH THAT HE WAS CONTENT TO STAY THERE FOR A LONG TIME…AND WHEN, AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS THERE, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO – OF ALL PLACES – ST. PIUS X PARISH IN WESTERLY. HE DID NOT RECEIVE THE NEWS WITH ENTHUSISM AT THE TIME – BUT I TOLD HIM HE WAS LUCKY TO BE COMING TO MY HOME TOWN AND HE’D LEARN TO REALLY LIKE IT THERE, AND SO, HE BEGAN HIS MINISTRY HERE, FIRST, AS ASSOCIATE TO FATHER JOSEPH BESSE FOR TWO YEARS, AND THEN WITH FATHER LAWRENCE TOOLE FOR FIVE MORE YEARS. AND FINALLY AFTER BEING ORDAINED ONLY ELEVEN YEARS HE WAS ELEVATED TO PASTOR, WITH FULL ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY HERE AT ST PIUS X PARISH.

NOW AT THIS POINT, MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS ADMINISTRATOR, PASTOR AND TEACHER INCLINES ME TO GRADE HIM ON HIS PERFORMANCE AS PASTOR, BY USING THE GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS COMMITTEE ON PASTORAL MINISTRY. THEY IDENTIFY FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES: THE PASTOR AS PROCLAIMER OF GOD’S WORD, AS LEADER, AS COMMUNITY BUILDER AND PASTOR AS STEWARD OF PARISH RESOURCES… IN EACH CATEGORY I WILL ASSIGN A GRADE FOR PERFORMANCE: “EXCELLENT”, VERY GOOD, GOOD ENOUGH, FAIR AND “NO COMMENT”.

FIRST, THE PASTOR AS PROCLAIMER OF GOD’S WORD:
THE BISHOPS’ COMMITTEE SITUATES THE PASTOR AS SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE PARISH AND ALSO STRESSES REVERENT PREPARATION OF HOMILIES, SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, RENEWAL PROGRAMS, AND THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION.
IN THIS CATEGORY, I WOULD GIVE HIM AN “EXCELLENT” RATING WITH AN ASTERISK, NOTING THAT SOME THINK HIS HOMILIES TEND TO BE A LITTLE LONG – AND AT TIMES SPILL OVER ON THE OPINION PAGE OF THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER.

SECOND: THE PASTOR AS LEADER OF WORSHIP:
IN THIS CATEGORY, THE BISHOPS’ COMMITTEE STRESSES HIS ROLE AS PRESIDER AT THE EUCHARIST, WHO DOES CAREFUL PLANNING AND TRAINING FOR THE VARIOUS MINISTERS. IN THIS CATEGORY, I WOULD OFF AN “EXCELLENT” RATING.

THIRD: THE PASTOR AS BUILDER OF COMMUNITY:
HERE, THE COMMITTEE IDENTIFIES COORDINATION OF THE COMMUNITIES GIFTS AND THE UNIFIER AND FACILITATOR OF THE CHARISMS, AND A PROMOTED OF LINKS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS – AS A SORT OF “ORCHESTRA LEADER”.
IN THIS CATEGORY, I WOULD OFFER AN “EXCELLENT” RATING.

FOURTH: THE PASTOR AS STEWARD OF PARISH RESOURCES:
IN THIS BROAD AREA, THE COMMITTEE IDENTIFIES MANY AND VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS PRUDENT ADMINISTRATION, EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION AND PROVISION OF PARISH FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO CARRY OUT THE PARISH MISSION; ALSO, EFFECTIVELY UTILIZATION OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WITH CLEARLY FINED POLICIES AND RESPOSIBILITES. IN THS CATEGORY, EVEN THE BISHOP’S COMMITTEE HINTS THAT PRACTICALLY NO PASTOR ACHIEVEN AT A HIGH RATING, BUT I WOULD OFFER A “VERY GOOD” RATING – AGAIN, WITH AN ASTERISK NOTING THAT HE WORRIES TOO MUCH ABOUT PARISH FINANCES. (EVEN BISHOP TOBIN TOLD HIM ONCE TO TURN DOWN THE “WORRY METER”, I UNDERSTAND.)

NOW IN THIS CATEGORY OF PARISH RESOURCES, I MUST ADD A DIMENSION THAT THE BISHOP DID NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTION – AND THAT IS THE PRIORITY THAT FATHER RAY HAS PLACED ON MAINTAINING A CATHOLIC SCHOOL, AS ALL THE PASTORS BEFORE HIM: IN THAT ADDITIONAL CATEGORY, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY OFFER AN “EXCELLENT” RATING WHICH I AM CERTAIN HE WOULD SHARE WITH THE PARISHIONERS OF ST. PIUS PARISH WHO SHARED HIS HIGH REGARD FOR A SOLID CATHOLIC EDUCATION TO BE AVAILABLE TO ALL YOUNG PEOPLE OF SOUTH COUNTY.

SO, ALL IN ALL, FATHER RAY RATES VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT IN THE CATEGORIES OF PASTORAL PERFORMANCE. BUT, LEST I LEAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE IS NEAR PERFECT, LET ME ADD ONE MORE AREA OF ACTIVITY OF HIS – NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THOSE WE HAVE RATED, BUT NEVERTHELESS, A SLICE OF HIS LIFE TO SORT OF COMPLETE THE PICTURE: I REFER TO HIS ROLE AS HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD ACROSS THE STREET AT 44 ELM STREET – OF WHICH I HAVE EYEWITNESS INFORMATION. HE THE REVEREND OF “MR NEAT AND CLEAN THERE”. ANY ANT, ROACH OR BUG THAT DARES SHOW YOU THE PREMISES TRIGGERS THE FASTEST REACH FOR THE DISINFICTINT BOTTLE SQUIRTING THEM OUT OF EXISTENCE. HE REMINDS ME OF ONE THE CHARACTERS IN THE NEIL SIMON PLAY – FELIX UNGER “IN THE ODD COUPLE”, OF COURSE. I IMAGINE THAT TO HIM I RESEMBLE THE OTHER CHARACTER, OSCAR MADISON. AND WE HAVE A GOOD TIME TEASING ONE ANOTHER IN A MUTUAL ADMIRATION FASHION!

I HAVE KNOWN HUNDREDS OF PRIEST IN MY LIFETIME. FATHER RAY, WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST. I LOVE HIM DEARLY, AS A BROTHER PRIEST – AND I’M SURE YOU LOVE HIM DEARLY, TOO!!!

“AD MULTOS ANNOS” FATHER RAY



Now a few pictures from the Mass . . .

Reflections on 25 Years of Priestly Service

(This homily was given on October 17, 2010 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I. by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read Exodus 17: 8-13; 2 Timothy 3: 14-4:2; Luke 18: 1-8.)

[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Twenty-fifth Anniversary]

I hope you don’t mind if I get “a little personal” in today’s homily, given the fact that just a few days ago I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood.

It’s providential that we have these three Scripture readings this weekend, because each of them relates to the priesthood—and my priesthood—in some way.

Let me begin with the second—that text from 2 Timothy 3. There Paul says to Timothy, the young priest, “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it.”

Yes, I do, St. Paul—I definitely know from whom I first learned the truth of the gospel—I definitely know from whom I first learned the message of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ—I definitely know from whom I first learned that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ and “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3: 15).

I was blessed to learn those and similar truths from the many faith-filled men and women whom the Lord put in my life during the days and years of my youth—including good priests like Fr. Francis J. Giudice. But first and foremost I learned those lessons at home: from a father who never went to church in the early days of my life, but who ended up a daily communicant before he died (he taught me a lot about conversion); and, of course, from a mother who took her faith very seriously and who taught me, by word and example, to love both the Eucharist and the Sacred Scriptures.

I can definitely relate on a personal level to the words of St. Paul’s here when he says, “From your infancy you have known the Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Now please don’t misunderstand, I didn’t come out of the womb 53 years ago spouting passages from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—but I did learn early on that the Bible was a very special book, and that it was filled with a lot of important insights that could help me in my life. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I sought comfort and strength from reading the Scriptures after my father died of cancer in 1971.

I really believed there was stuff in there that could help me cope with my pain at the time. And I was right.

And I’ve been reading the Scriptures ever since.

Let me also add at this time how grateful I am for the support my family gave me in my journey to the priesthood. That was a great gift. I say that because not every priest is blessed with support and affirmation from the people who are closest to him.

And let me distinguish here “support” from “pressure”. I always felt my family’s support for my vocation, but I never felt any pressure from them to become a priest—or even to enter the seminary.

My mother said it best: “If God wants you to be a priest, then I want you to be a priest; but if you discern that God doesn’t want you to be a priest, then neither do I want you to get ordained.”

The decision was always between God and me—which is precisely the way it should have been.

That’s the way it should be for everyone, regardless of what their vocation is in life.

I’m also glad that in today’s gospel we have this parable about, as Jesus says, “the necessity of praying always without becoming weary.”

Every vocation—the vocation to the priesthood, the vocation to marriage, the vocation to the single life—has its joys, its struggles, its challenges and it disappointments.

And so in every vocation perseverance is needed (many of you have already discovered that, I’m sure): the perseverance that comes from God’s grace, and is rooted in prayer.

I thank God for helping me to persevere joyfully in his service as a priest for the last 25 years. I ask you to pray for me, that he will continue to grant me that grace until he calls me home at the end of my life (which, God willing, will be a long time from now!).

And speaking of prayerful support—what a great first reading this is for a priest celebrating a special anniversary! Here we have Moses interceding for God’s people as they battle the Amalekites: as long as he keeps his hands up, Israel fights well, but when he lets his hands drop, the people of God begin to lose.

It reminds me of how a priest fulfills his sacred duties. Jesus Christ, Scripture says, is the one mediator between God and man, in the sense that his sacrifice—and his sacrifice alone—has brought salvation to the world. But priests act in the person of Christ when they administer the sacraments, so they have a mediating role in the Church, in the sense that they bring God to people and people to God through their ministry of word and sacrament.

But it’s not easy for us, as it was not easy for Moses. Fighting the good fight of faith is not always a picnic! Moses needed his Aaron and Hur to support him in the battle, and we need people in our lives to support us, especially through their prayers and sacrifices.

I thank God today for all those good men and women who have prayerfully “held my hands up” (so to speak), for the last quarter century—especially those from this parish and community—since I’ve been here for 22 of my 25 priestly years. To a great extent, I am the priest I am today because of you. May God reward you for helping to keep my hands “raised” for so long.

Let me close with this thought: I suppose the ultimate question for any person in any vocation is this one: Would you do it again? If you could go back in time and had the chance to start over, would you choose the same path?

My answer to that would be: Without question! In spite of all the difficulties and challenges, I’m glad I made the choice I made.

Hopefully you are also glad. And if you are, then please pray for me and for all priests every day, that we will always be faithful to the awesome call that we’ve received from Jesus Christ.

The Rhode Island Declaration

(The following was given at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., on October 3, 2010 by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read 2 Timothy 1: 6-8; 13-14.)

In place of a regular homily, I want to read to you a document entitled, The Rhode Island Declaration, in the hope that you will consider signing it—as I did several weeks ago.

In today’s second reading, St Paul tells us that we are to “guard” the truth. To guard means to defend: we are to defend the truth when it is attacked or undermined—not by our own power, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, who, as Paul says here “dwells” within us.

The Rhode Island Declaration is a document that was written to defend the truth. It’s based on The Manhattan Declaration, which was drafted several months ago under the leadership of Chuck Colson (some of you will remember him from Watergate), Robert George (a law professor at Princeton University) and Timothy George (the Dean of Beeson Divinity School in Alabama). It was signed by a number of notable people, including Archbishop Dolan of New York and Archbishop Chaput of Denver.

The Rhode Island Declaration, as I said a few moments ago, was based on the Manhattan Declaration and was designed to mobilize support locally for issues relating to the sanctity of human life, marriage and religious freedom.

A number of local college professors, doctors, lawyers and pastors initially signed the document when it first came out—including yours truly!

And here it is:

We are Rhode Islanders who are members of different religious traditions. We address this declaration to all citizens, believers and nonbelievers alike, out of our concern over the serious present-day threats to the natural goods of human life, marriage, and religious liberty—each of which is a gift from the Creator for the common good and well-being of all members of society. We invite all men and women of good will to reflect critically on the issues we address here, and to stand with us—and with many men and women of conscience throughout history—to defend these natural goods in the public forum by way of reasoned argument and lawful political action. our belief in the wisdom of the Creator and the goodness of the created order is the source of our vision and hopeful efforts for a well-ordered society under the rule of law. We cherish the rule of law and we respect the authority of human legislators. We count it as a special privilege to live in a democratic society where the making of law benefits from the rights of all citizens to participate in the political process. Yet even in a democratic regime, laws can be unjust. Such laws lack the power to bind in conscience because they can claim no authority beyond the sheer force of human will. We stand with Dr. Martin Luther King in his appeal to a higher, universal law of justice: “a just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.”


Human Life



The lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are increasingly threatened today. While public opinion has moved in a pro-life direction, powerful and determined forces are working to expand abortion, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide, and euthanasia in open disregard for the intrinsic worth of every individual human life. Government is very often complicit in these threats to human life—at times in the name of the otherwise commendable goal of defending individual rights. But there can be no right deliberately to take innocent human life. Rather, a primary responsibility of government, indeed of us all, is to protect the weak and vulnerable, especially those whose lives are deemed “unwanted” or too burdensome to warrant protection. We pledge to work unceasingly for the equal protection under law of every innocent human being at every stage of development and in every condition. We will refuse to permit ourselves or our institutions to be implicated in the taking of innocent human life and we will support in every possible way those who, in conscience, take the same stand.



Marriage



The institution of marriage, already wounded by promiscuity, infidelity, and divorce is at risk of being redefined and thus subverted. Marriage is the original and most important institution for sustaining the health, education, and welfare of all. Where marriage erodes, social pathologies rise. The impulse to redefine marriage is a symptom, rather than the cause, of the erosion of the marriage culture. But this impulse must be resisted. It reflects a loss of understanding of the meaning of marriage, as embodied in our civil law as well as our religious traditions. To yield to it would be to forsake any possibility of rebuilding a healthy marriage culture. It would lock into place the pervasive though false and destructive belief that marriage is only about romance and other adult satisfactions, and not, in any intrinsic way, about the unique character and value of bonds and acts whose meaning is shaped by their aptness for the generation and fostering of life. Marriage is not a “social construction.” It is an objective reality—the faithful union of man and woman, who by their natural complementarity of body and spirit are uniquely endowed for mutual help, and the upbringing and education of children. It is the duty of the law to recognize, honor, and protect this most basic form of human society.



Religious Liberty



Freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely threatened. The threat is evident in efforts to weaken or eliminate conscience protections for healthcare institutions and professionals, and in antidiscrimination statutes that are used as weapons to force religious institutions, charities, businesses, and service providers either to accept (and even facilitate) activities and relationships they judge immoral, or to go out of business. Attacks on religious liberty are significant threats not only to individuals, but also to the institutions of civil society, including families, charitable organizations, and religious communities. The well-being of such institutions provides an indispensable buffer against excessive governmental power and is essential to the flourishing of every other institution on which society depends, including government itself.



Therefore, we commit ourselves to the promotion and defense of human life at every stage, of marriage as the faithful union of husband and wife, and of the legitimate rights of conscience. Each of these is inviolable. Each is an essential element of human dignity and the common good of society. We shall work unwaveringly in defense of these principles, through education and active participation in the political process, no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We invite all Rhode Islanders to join us in this commitment.

Needless to say, I hope and I pray that you agree with the sentiments expressed in this document (every Catholic should!). And, even more importantly, I hope and pray that you will consider signing it yourself.



Remember, if we don’t guard the truth and defend it, no one else will. And our children—and our children’s children—will suffer the consequences.