Church of Saint Eugene 

“When the people saw the sign Jesus had done, they said “This is truly the Prophet, the One Who is to come into the world.”  Since Jesus knew they were going to come and carry Him off to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain alone.” (John 6:14-15)

They saw and they did not understand.  In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 8, Our Blessed Lord said that He speaks to the people only in parables but to His Apostles, His priests, He explains everything in private. Recall the Parable of the Sower of the Seeds on various soils and briers.  After Jesus had spoken the parable to the people, the Apostles, as well, did not understand.  Jesus then explained it to them in private. Even though they had so much private time with the Christ, the Apostles were just like the people in today's Gospel… because of the miracle of the Loaves and fish, “They were going to come and carry Him off to make Him king.”  The people did not understand. The disciples did not understand. The Apostles did not understand. Recall Jesus’ words from the Cross as He pleaded for all of us sinners… “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they do.”   (Luke 23:34)  They did not understand that Jesus had to come and offer His life on the cross.

And yet, shouldn’t they have understood?  They were the Chosen People who were awaiting and looking for the coming Messiah… the Christ.  Shouldn't they have connected that the Miracle of the Loaves with the 12 baskets left over gave homage to the 12 Tribes of Israel?  Shouldn’t they have realized that the feeding of so many in a deserted place was homage to the Manna given to the Israelites as they were wondering through the desert with Moses after their redemption from Egypt?  Shouldn’t they have realized that by Jesus going up the mountain (Like Moses going up Mount Sinai) and raising His eyes to Heaven as the great Feast of Passover as nearing, that Jesus was revealing to the people that the priestly offering of bread tied to the temple in Jerusalem of the Old Testament was being replaced by the New High Priest, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah and Lord and the new Sacrifice of Christ on the Altar of the Cross?  Yes, they should have known on every account.

We, also, should have recognized all this and so much more because, after all, we have grown up in the faith… been taught the faith at home… been taught the faith in school… been taught the faith on a weekly basis at the Holy Mass.  Shouldn’t we all know this? Yes, to this and all questions about what we should know and what we should be doing. But, we don’t do and as we should. Even Saint Paul wrote, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Romans 7:19)

We should have known… the good and the evil.  But, we did know the good and the evil. We should have done only the good.  They should have known… the good and the evil. But, they did know the good and the evil.  They should have done only the good - but they didn’t… they did the evil.

After the Crisis in the Church was revealed here in the US, the living out of the priesthood for all ordained priests changed dramatically.   Priests could no longer innocently take the altar boys, now altar servers, on trips… without causing suspicion. Priests could no longer innocently call servers to the church or rectory to help out with splitting the palms for Palm Sunday or preparing the church for worship… without causing suspicion.  Priests could no longer innocently just visit the classrooms or lunchrooms of the parish schools… without causing suspicion. And we wonder why vocations are down.  Why would parents foster a vocation in the home to be a part of a seemingly chronically ill career or vocation?  Why would a parent want to encourage a relationship between their children and their local priest?  Why would friends support a man who is contemplating this career, this vocation?  Why would a man voluntarily take on this cross of guilt by association, unfair as it is, because of all that has happened in the past?

Those less than 10% of priests who have gravely sinned have adversely affected us all… yes the Sacred Priesthood and vocations… but more importantly all the holy people of God.  Whether a person was personally abused, all the faithful have been abused because their faith in the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, their faith in their Church has for some in a minor way been called into question and for many shattered seemingly beyond repair.  

May I please offer a caution to parents, which does not in any way, again in any way, excuse or lessen the gravity and horror of the situation of priestly abuse.  All studies, all studies, show that the majority of all sexual abuse - over 45% - happens within the family.  Parents, you must always be on guard, always alert and always protecting your children, especially with the internet so freely and easily available is in all your homes.

The pain inflicted by these clerical abusers has left wounds unseen but continually infected.  Whereas, Padre Pio and Saint Francis were blessed with the Divine Wounds of Christ as He suffered His crucifixion and these wounds, The Stigmata, have drawn so many faithful to the Church through these priests humble suffering in His image. So many others have been cursed with the most evil wounds of abuse which have scarred their bodies, their emotions, their intellect and spirit, driving them and countless others away from God’s Holy Church.

Last Sunday’s Gospel showed us that Jesus was training and entrusting His Holy Church to His Apostles and their successors.  And at times this did not go well even for Jesus… Judas denied Our Blessed Lord and sold Him for the price of a slave; Peter denied Him three times after sharing the First Holy Mass with Him at the Last Supper; and sometimes the power and prestige of the Apostles position would go to the their heads… “The mother of the Sons of Zebedee asked that Jesus have her two sons sit one at His right and the other at His left, which brought on quarreling amongst them (the other apostles).  Jesus told them, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.  Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

Some of our Cardinals, our bishops, our priests and deacons, and religious brothers and sisters have forgotten this.  Instead of serving the holy people of God, they have sought to be served. I am so sorry and apologize for any and all pain which has been inflicted upon the Holy People of God and of which those abused still suffer.  The pain.  The betrayal.  The innocence lost.

Where should we be now?  What should we be thinking?  How should we react?   Let us remember…

·       The Holy Catholic Church is not one or many religious sisters or brothers.  

·       The Holy Catholic Church is not one or many deacons.

·       The Holy Catholic Church is not one or many priests.  

·       The Holy Catholic Church is not one or many bishops.

·       The Holy Catholic Church is not one or many cardinals… Cardinal McCarrick has been directed by Rome not to present himself as cleric in any way, and has resigned as Cardinal… Rome accepted.    

The Holy Catholic Church is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is the infinite Justice of God. It is the Infinite Mercy of God.  We should never, never, let one, a few or many, ever drive us away from the Heart of God. We should never let one, a few or many, ever drive us away from the Mercy of God.  We should never let one, a few or many, ever drive us away from the Church of God. We should never let one, a few or many, ever drive us away from that Most Blessed Sacrament which is given to us in the Holy Mass.

We should pray for the healing of all those personally abused.  We should pray for healing for those who were affected by the abuse of others.  We should pray for the souls of the abusers… may God have mercy on them. And we should pray for all those men contemplating serving the Lord and His Holy People as a priest.  They, I and all the clergy and religious must hear and live by the words of Blessed Lord… “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.  Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” 
(Preached on the 17th Sunday by Father Fernan at all the Holy Masses.)

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