Preached: April 29, 2025
In her opinion piece in the Hamilton Spectator on Tues Apr 8, Margaret Shkimba contrasted the polarization, divisiveness and politics of aggrievement that seem to fill so much time & space in the media these days, with what she hopes for: a politics of gratitude; appreciation for what we have, what we have been given, and what a privilege that is. “There is no future in being constantly aggrieved” she writes. “We need a politics of gratitude to guide the day.” – I think we can all agree with her on that.
St. Catharine of Sienna would. For St. Catherine, gratitude is the foundation of Christian spirituality: “a thankful heart is a happy heart, and that gratitude is the foundation of a healthy Christian spirituality.” St. Catherine emphasized that gratitude, particularly towards God, is essential for a healthy spiritual life, freeing the soul from negligence and leading to a deeper love and delight in God. In one of her revelations, God the Father told her that “thanksgiving makes the soul incessantly delight in Him; it frees men from negligence and lukewarmness altogether and makes them anxious to please Him more and more in all things.”
Today, especially this day, I feel like I’ve been given some sense of St. Catherine’s teaching. 30 years ago on this day I was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Tonnos in the Cathedral of Christ the King. It was, in a number of ways, a miracle. Because I had been an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada for 17 years before my conversion to Catholicism. In my journey towards all of this, I undertook the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. During those spiritual exercises, the theme of “freedom to embrace a new ministry” continued to surface… time & time again… but neither my spiritual director, Fr. John Veltri, nor myself, understood then what that would mean. Only afterwards.. after the exercises, did my vocation come clearly into focus.
It’s been 30 years since Bishop Tonnos ordained me… and, while there have been challenges, there has been so much grace and awe and appreciation and the privilege of being on holy ground with people in so many ways that I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude to God for calling me to priestly ministry; gratitude to so many parishioners who have shared their lives & their faith with me, gratitude for the fun… yes fun.. in bringing together the imagination & commitment of people of all ages in those Christmas pageants.. along with ‘Donny the Donkey,’ & those RCIA programs that truly were a communal experience of faith.
The witness of people in the parish was profound… like when Bart Jankowski came to sit in their midst and tell them what it was like for him to sit on the stones in the synagogue at Capernaum where Jesus sat, on a recent trip to the Holy Land, & for me to be able to see the impact that that made on those who were going through the RCIA process.
I feel grateful for the privilege of celebrating Mass with children.. who have been so very willing to participate fully in the Mass whenever they’ve had the opportunity. I remember one girl who offered to do the readings at Mass one Sunday morning when we were stuck for a lector… I had assumed she was in high school.. but she was actually only in Grade 7 as I found out later. Nonetheless, the First Reading, which had a long list of even longer Old Testament place names, proved to be no match for her. She stood at the ambo, looked at the reading before her, and held forth as if she had been exercising that ministry for decades. Everyone was gobstruck!
Miracles. Miracles. I remember being in the hospital, praying beside people who had arrived at the end of their life here and were preparing to move to their life there; holy ground; holy ground. I am frequently moved & humbled by the depth of insight and reflection that parishioners bring to the Sacrament of Reconciliation… I am grateful to God for continuing to be with me in this pilgrimage of priesthood… speaking into my emptiness when I begin to work on a homily; helping me to see the possibilities that I would not otherwise have recognized… and guiding me as I go to confession myself. I am very grateful for the acceptance and friendship of priests who have generously shared their experience with me over these many years.
And I am immensely grateful for my children, my grandchildren, and especially & always my beloved wife Lorna. Between us and amongst us we have been blessed so many times by gifts of sacrificial love. Lorna has always found ways to support this ministry God has given me, not counting the costs; and the myriad of ways God has called her to be a means of His grace. Inscribed inside our wedding rings is a single word: “Emmanuel,” which, as you know, means “God is with us.” That has been true throughout this whole pilgrimage of faith.
So yes… on this day especially, the Memorial of St. Catherine of Sienna who taught us that gratitude is the foundation of Christian spirituality.. and here in this place which is the incarnation of a dream begun years ago in the minds & hearts of parishioners… I am saying ‘thank you” for so very much. God bless you all. Amen.
