Homily: Third Thursday of Easter

Third Thursday of Easter (Act 8:26-40) “The Right Moment”

How many of us fully appreciate our Baptism? We read about Phillip baptizing an Ethiopian eunuch in the Acts of the apostles. In every era we have people who we would call seekers. The eunuch was a learned man that was seeking a religion that he could practice. He must have been interested in the Jewish faith because he was reading Jewish scripture.

When Philip tells him about the life and message of Jesus Christ, he decides that his search is over. There must have been a river nearby and the eunuch was immediately baptized. We may question Philip’s catechetical methods. If someone seeks baptism in the church today, they usually go through months of preparation. We want to make sure that they have fully reflected on what they are choosing. Are more spontaneous conversions unsuccessful? Not necessarily.

I have had people come to me who wanted to convert to Catholicism but did not want to wait for months to do so. My question to them is always what their religious background is. If they have been seeking and exploring and studying for a long time, I may give some basic instruction and baptize them.

There is an old maxim that says strike while the iron is hot or do not quench the smoldering wick. The Holy Spirit often does not work on a schedule. People are called in different ways and at different times to follow Jesus. We need to respect the mysterious movements of the Spirit.

The people I have baptized who have had more abbreviated instruction have usually remained Catholic and have become good church members. They also appreciated the fact that they were listened to and their personal faith journey was respected.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Am I a seeker? Do I continue to ask questions and explore my faith?

2.   Have I known a convert to Catholicism? How seriously did they take their faith?

 Dear Parishioners,

           We are moving into the wedding season. Some might wonder how hard it is to be married in a Catholic ceremony. It really is not that hard. The first step is to call me if you want to have your ceremony at Sacred Heart. Weddings typically are scheduled a year in advance, but that is not a requirement. The reason to call a year before is to make sure that you get your date on the calendar.

          After the date is set there are three steps. One step is to take a Foccus survey which is used for pastoral counseling. I usually take a couple sessions to process this survey with couples. The second step is to do two diocesan programs. One is a Pre Cana class. The other is a Christian Sexuality workshop. The third part of marriage preparation is to fill out the paperwork that will go on file in the parish where the marriage takes place. Throughout these steps, the wedding liturgy is planned.

          Catholic weddings are joyful events and are reverent. Graces flow from a sacramental marriage. If you are considering getting married I would always be willing to talk with you and assist any way I can.

          May Our Lady pray for us,

          Fr. Mark