Once the seed is sown, the farmer goes home. Then the soil, nutrients, water, oxygen, sun, and so on do all the work to make the plant grow. To be a Christian is simpler than simple. It is a gift. Once you get the seed sown on Sunday, God will move the whole universe to make it grow.

Last week we celebrated the seed of the Declaration of Independence. Pretty tiny seed but pretty amazing tree we got right now.

Jesus speaks about sowing because he wanted to be relevant to his audience, but all this talk about farming sounds so foreign to us. We get our food, not from the soil, but from the supermarket. We idolize organic food, but our lifestyle is “processed”.

Our life is like the grass that:

In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades (Psalm 90).

Remember that at the end of the day, (of our life) we are just seeds waiting to be sown. As Jesus said and did, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” For the menu today, we have the fruit of the resurrection, both in the Word of God and the Eucharist.

God does almost everything (nourishing, and growing to seed) we do almost nothing, (letting him plant it in us) but if we don’t do our almost nothing, God cannot do his almost everything.

May Mary, the good soil who received the seed of God through her spouse, the Holy Spirit, intercede for us now and at the hour when we will be planted.

Father Maloney used to say that one of the amazing things about coming to mass is that at least for one hour a week you are 100% sure that you are where God wants you to be. The reason why you are here at Church right at this second is that God wants to sow in your heart a word that you will need for this coming week. You’d better leave with that seed, if not, you might have wasted your time. Let us pray… “Lord plant your word in our hearts.”

I find myself thinking of the words of Final Commendation at a funeral. I guess in some ways a priest leaving one parish for another is something like a funeral. Some cry out in anguish, “Good God!” while others might quietly say, “Thank God!” (That’s a joke…at least I hope! Did I just hear Fr. Wesly laugh?) At any rate, there is a sort of dying that takes place. The words of Final Commendation start out this way: “Trusting in God, we have prayed together for so and so, and now we come to the last farewell. There is sadness in parting, but we take comfort in the hope that one day we shall see so and so again and enjoy his/her friendship…” I was thinking of changing the wording slightly in light of the occasion. “Trusting in God, you and I have prayed together – and now on this weekend, we come to the last farewell. There is sadness in parting, but we take comfort in the hope that one day we shall see each other again and enjoy our friendship anew. Although we will disperse with a certain sorrow, the Mercy and Love of God will gather

us together again in the Joy of His Kingdom. Therefore let us console one another in the Faith of Jesus Christ.” It is all about Faith in Jesus Christ! It is all about your Faith and mine! In my five years at Saint Gabriel and two years at Saint Aloysius, it is this Faith of ours that stands out! In the midst of all that has taken place over these last couple of years, it is the Faith that remains and keeps us together always as One! I really could write a fascinating book – one that could be turned into a very popular TV “dramedy.”

All of you would be in it! I could talk about my own constant running around and driving around between nine different campuses not knowing how I “get it all done.” Yes, nine campuses! They were St. Gabe’s, St. Al’s, St. Al’s Parish School, PJP High School, Holy Trinity Church, plus three cemeteries, and St. Al’s rectory (it’s across Beech Street…technically off parish grounds!). There would certainly be stories about Fr. Wesly from his chiroptophobia (look that one up!) and exit down the fire escape to the pastor co-signing for “his son’s” first new car. Stories of painted churches and new sound systems would be included. There would be stories of vocations, vocations, and more vocations! I am oh so proud of our three Diocesan seminarians, two Neo- Catechumenate seminarians, and (soon, I hope, as of this writing) a permanent diaconate candidate. There would be the wonderful stories of many teenagers and young adults

becoming Catholic or completing their Sacraments. There would be stories of our faithful altar servers and the sometimes Sunday entertainment that they provide when something goes awry. There would be stories of homeless friends hanging around, principals provoking, business managers quietly (on rare occasions) being business managers, and believe it or not, nihilistic penguins! Ask this year’s Eight Grade

graduates about that! The story is that of a family…it’s the Family that you and I have become. It’s the Family that you and I will remain, even as I depart St. Gabe’s and St. Al’s. Therein lies our Hope and therein lies Our Faith! Thank you for these wonderful years together! I look forward to our meeting again now, in the future, and always in the Joy of God’s Kingdom!

Peace!

Fr. Wilson

t felt a little strange at first…my lying down on the cathedral floor in front of everyone. If I recall, the only thought in my head was “gosh, what am I doing?” It then seemed for me to be perhaps just a brief moment of rest in an otherwise very grace-filled, exhilarating, yet very exhausting day. Prostration, lying face-down before the altar, is a part of the Rite of Ordination. Last weekend, three men were ordained as Permanent Deacons for the Archdiocese and this weekend has seen eight men ordained as Priests – the largest number in twenty-three years. All experienced that moment of prostration. It is meant to symbolize and concretize the surrendering of one’s life. It is the position of a slave or servant before His Master. The Act of Prostration has become more meaningful for me well beyond the actual day of my priestly ordination. That

initial Act of Prostration has continued. It is the Good Friday prostration, done in complete silence that really stands out for me today. There is no singing, no chanting, and no invocation of the saints. There is only a deafening silence as one lies on the floor of the church in front of everyone once again. The meaning is still the same: surrender. It is in imitation of Jesus, Himself, Who surrendered to the Cross – and the mob of mankind that threw Him upon it. Of course, the story didn’t end there, nor does the story of ordination end with the Act of Prostration. Jesus would rise and everything – EVERYTHING – would forever change. The whole world and Life Itself would be transformed. It was not the Act of Prostration that stood out for me on my day of ordination. It was the Act of Rising afterwards. A change had been reflected. Quite the miracle had taken place. I went down upon that cathedral floor of surrender as a person already ordained a deacon, but now I arose as Priest. As much as I continue to carry that Act of Surrender in Prostration around with me as Priest, even more so I carry with me that Act of Rising Anew as Priest each and every day especially in the Masses I celebrate. Pray for all those ordained in these last days. Pray for priests and deacons. Pray that in surrendering anew each and every day that they might even more so arise each and every day experiencing a whole New Life transformed with and in Our Risen Lord!

Peace!

Fr. Wilson

A belated Happy APD! This past Wednesday was Administrative Professionals Day. I thought that I’d used the acronym “APD” since that sounds very “officey.” As an aside, I received an email the other day from “downtown” making reference to “EOD.” I wondered who that was and why they should be copied on the email. I only realized later, towards the end of the day, that the sender of the email was requesting a response by the End Of the Day. Opps, sorry! Well, at least say please respond EOD. Anyway, I don’t know who came up with APD. Maybe Hallmark or some national florists association had the idea. APD used to be known as National Secretaries Day…but, “secretary” is soooo yesterday and passé. Administrative professional…well, sounds much more professional and deserving of a pay increase. Think of the many ways in which terms have changed. The trashmen of yesteryear are the sanitation workers of today and may certainly include women. By the way, I don’t ever recall any “trashwymn”…just sayin’. Cashiers and bank tellers today are also APs. I’m talking about the ones that are not automated scanning machines or ATMs. Even priests are affected by shifts in terminology. Assistant priests are now known as parochial vicars and all priests no longer exercise their ministry in a vicariate, but a deanery. Then, there are some former seminarians, like me, that began studies with a year of Pre-Theology, whereas those of today enter a

Propaedeutic Stage. Priest pastors are also affected. Although still called to “shepherd” the souls of a parish, the role of pastor today has developed into an all encompassing administrative position that I suspect would quite surprise the Curé of Ars. The Church is in some ways now beginning to recognize this as we explore new models of effective ministry. Hint: think “hubs” here in the Archdiocese. Jesus, Himself, changed terminology and explored “new models,” if you will. For instance, “seeing” the Risen Jesus, became something much richer, deeper, and more intense than mere physical sight – and such “seeing” effects belief. With Jesus, “models” certainly change as fishermen become apostles and “fish” to be caught live not in the sea, but on land. Perhaps, it could be said that Jesus is the Ultimate Administrative Professional busy transforming terms and models, but much more importantly transforming lives and life itself.

Happy belated APD to all my fellow APs!

Peace!

Fr. Wilson

Born to be alive! And we were alive…full of life…full of energy…and ready for a night full of fun! Those were many a Friday night in early high school. The guys and I were not yet driving, but we were driven to get out in order to explore and engage our ever expanding world – a world which at that time, it might be said, was the whole USA. It would all begin with a trip on SEPTA’s “Y” bus. It was a forty minute or so journey that would end at Cottman and the Boulevard in Northeast Philly. From there it was a short walk to our destination. USA was an acronym for United Skates of America. Once in the door, we would don our roller skates and have at it. It was great fun. Often enough we would wind up meeting other kids from our school

or neighborhood. The music was played was the current pop of the day and in the course of the evening there were “group”skates, “speed” skates, and of course, “couple” skates. I took part in them all, though I have to admit that I was never the speediest skater during the speed skates. Born to Be Alive was a popular song at the time. It was sung by French artist, Patrick Hernandez, still going strong and turning 77 the day after Easter. It was his most popular song. It’s a simple yet catchy tune that speaks to life and kinda makes you want to dance – or skate. For me, the tune instantly brings back memory of those Friday nights at USA tearing around that rink located on the plot of land that had been the location of the famed Boulevard Pools (of which I have only a vague recollection). The guys and I were indeed born to be alive – and we knew it. It’s good to be alive, to be alive, to be alive! Time was on our side! And time is on our side again as we begin Holy Week. In fact, all time – eternity itself – is on our side! That’s what Holy Week is all about. In our Lord’s tremendous suffering in His Passion, what screams out at us ultimately is Life Itself as death undergoes its own demise and dies. For us, the Cross is not a symbol of death, but of life…True Life…Eternal Life. On Good Friday death dies and a whole New Life already begins! That’s our Faith! That’s our Hope! That’s our Joy of Easter already! So, as we now enter this most solemn week get ready to put on your skates! A song has already begun. It’s not a sad song at all, but one quite catchy and upbeat. It kinda makes one want to get out to explore and engage our Faith and our World as it reminds us this week that all of us are

Born to Be Alive!

Peace!

Fr. Wilson