The Firefighter

Stoking the Yesterday, Today, and Forever fire

08/04/2024

Jn 6:24-35 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat." So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Soon after I was ordained I developed a nickname as a priest and I became known as “The Firefighter.” Can anyone guess why they dubbed me the firefighter? Well, sooner or later, every organization has a raging fire – some major problem – and they send in the firefighter to put out. For several years, therefore, I was sent to problematic parishes to extinguish the pastoral fires and restore some normality. So that people were happy to come to church again.

I have been here at Immaculate Conception now for over 10 years as pastor. And to make sure I am not moved, I am starting a small fire so the bishop will leave me here in order to put it out. Now, it’s not a new problem that I am starting, but rather a new project, our Yesterday, Today, and Forever Campaign. That title it taken from Hebrews 13:8, which describes Jesus as “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Why that title? Well, because Jesus is the centerpiece of our campaign, who will have a new home in a stunning new marble altar in the center of our sanctuary. So, folks, I need you to throw the logs of your donations on this fire to keep it burning, so this firefighter will be here for at least three more years.

We began the Yesterday, Today, and Forever Campaign in June, so I want to give you an update for the last two months. We have raised in both pledges and donations $927,673, almost one million dollars! And I am pleased that so far 208 families have contributed. If you do the math, that’s an average gift of $4,600 per family. Every first weekend of the month we will take up a second collection for the YTF Campaign.

I know some people prefer to give anonymously so no doubt the actual number of contributors is much higher than 208. But remember that our goal is $2.5 million, so we still have a long way to go, more than halfway. If you have not already made a pledge or gift, please prayerfully consider doing so, or I will send my pit bull dog Apollo to pay you a visit. All firefighters should have a faithful dog to help them.

Some of our projects are already well underway or completed. For example, this summer we are adding an 18-month old classroom and new bathrooms in the preschool. In the elementary school – called “the big school” – we are replacing the flooring in the offices and teachers’ lounge and painting the interior walls. The exterior of the school is being water-proofed. The peeling metal trim on the rectory was replaced last week.

And we have ordered the fabric to refurbish the kneelers and we will also refinish the pews. We have ordered a brand new statue of St. Patrick that will take the place of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which we will move to where the tabernacle currently sits. We are paying for these projects as we receive the funds, so thank you to everyone who is helping keep the fire going and this firefighter busy!

But by far the most exciting and eye-catching project will be the new back altar for the Blessed Sacrament. After it is installed, it will almost feel like you’re walking into a new church. We are working with an Atlanta-based company called King Richard’s to build the back altar. However, the marble will come from a quarry in Ortisei, Italy. So, if any Italian parishioners are from Ortisei, would you ask your family to give us a break on the marble?

The actual sculpting of the marble will take 4 months, and another month to ship from Italy to Fort Smith. We will install it in January, 2025, when we don’t have any weddings scheduled, or a mother of the bride might throw me as a log on the fire. The marble altar will be made of pink “Botticino marble,” as well as cream-colored “Carrara marble,” which Michaelangelo used for his sculptures, like of the David in Florence. If you look closely, you will notice how the pink and cream colors will match our existing altars and communion rail.

The altar will weigh 6,600 pounds (over three tons), and be 10’, 6” tall, so the top of the altar will be 2 inches below the feet of Jesus on the crucifix hanging on the back wall. And a light will illuminate the central niche where the tabernacle sits. Jesus, the Light of the world, will be appropriately illuminated! My friends, I am convinced the new back altar will dramatically transform the interior of our gorgeous Gothic church and make it even more resplendent!

In the gospel today, Jesus says something that scandalized the Jews, but gave joy to his disciples. He said, “It was not Moses who gave bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true that comes from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jesus means, of course, that he himself is the “bread of God” which we receive every Sunday when we come up for Holy Communion.

My friends, that Eucharistic Bread is the heart and hope of this our Campaign, that is, we want to emphasize Christ’s teaching about the Eucharist. That is what we build because that is what we believe. And that is why we are putting the Blessed Sacrament in the middle of the sanctuary and moving the priests and deacons over to the side. Why?

Well, because we Catholic Christians come to Mass to worship Christ, not some priest with a cult of personality. You are here to see Jesus, not to see me, because someday I will be dead and gone. But our Lord will still be here, “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” After all, a good priest is little more than a firefighter, trying to save the treasures in the midst of a fire.

Praised be Jesus Christ!