Shadow of Success

Putting our collective Catholic shoulders behind youth ministry

9/12/2019

Colossians 3:12-17 Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I’ve had a very strange and very sober thought going through my head lately, namely, who will take my place one day as the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church? I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon, don’t worry. Or, maybe you should worry because I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. But I will retire one day, like it or not, and some priest will replace me. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.” Just as I walk in the shadow of Msgr. Galvin and Msgr. O’Donnell, so some day another priest will walk in my shadow – a strange and sober thought indeed.

Perhaps that priest will be one of the associates I have had the pleasure of serving with here for the past six years: Fr. Andrew Hart or Fr. Stephen Elser or now Fr. Martin Amaro? Or it may be a priest who has not yet darkened the doors of I.C. church. Do you know the first time I entered this glorious house of God? IT was for the funeral of Msgr. Galvin in June, 1996, and I had been a priest for only two weeks. I only came to support my seminary classmate, Fr. Greg Luyet, who was the associate priest here at the time. In other words, the only time Galvin’s shadow fell on me was from his casket at the cemetery in Texarkana. Sometimes we have a chance to shape our successors, and sometimes our successors are picked without our permission.

We continue to hear from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians in the first reading today. It almost sounds like Paul is also pondering who his successor will be and walk in his shadow as the apostle to the gentiles. He writes: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” In other words, the faith is meant to be shared from one generation to the next. Why? So that the institution called the Catholic Church may fill the face of the earth.

That institution is the lengthened shadow not of one man, but of the one God-Man, Jesus Christ. St. Paul walked in the shadow of Jesus and so did Galvin, and O’Donnell and John Antony. In other words, it is Jesus’ shadow that defines and directs this divine institution called the Catholic Church. This strange and sober thought crosses the mind of very pastor: who will take my place when I am gone, to share the faith with the next generation? Upon whom shall Jesus’ shadow fall next to be the future shepherds of the Church?

Today I want you to pray with me for the success of youth ministry, and put our collective Catholic shoulders to that load. It is not enough that we learn the faith and live the faith. We must also find effective ways to light the lamp of faith in the hearts of our youth. I am so grateful to men like the late David McMahon and Tom Caldarera, who helped us obtain our 4:12 Youth Building. I am indebted to Loretta Collins, our youth minister, who works hard and humbly with the youth. I am so inspired by Pope St. John Paul II who started the World Youth Day celebrations to inspire the next generation of Catholics. I cannot thank enough our school staff and teachers, our religious education directors and catechists, who tirelessly try to pass on the faith. And now Dc. Greg has stepped into the role of leading Catholic campus ministry at U.A.F.S.

Why are we spending all this time and energy, all this manpower and millions of dollars? For one simple reason: we know that Emerson was right: an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man, and the institution called the Catholic Church is the lengthened shadow of Jesus Christ. We have enjoyed standing in his shadow for many years, and now we want to invite the next generation to join us in that shade. From that generation of Catholics will come the next pastor of Immaculate Conception Church.

Praised be Jesus Christ!