Sunday Readings

Well,
I'm on vacation
and will post again in July.
God bless and thanks.

Sunday Readings

Hasta Luego

Every priest wonders if he is doing the right thing. With the whole Tradition of the Church and legacy of the Gospel, it becomes our mission to speak to the present age. And despite all your kind words over the years, it is a question that haunts me. It has been at the heart of my prayer and my activity on a daily basis. It is one of those healthy doubts we all need to keep us from getting into a rut.

You may think that after 11 years I would – in my accustomed and well-known humility - confess my many failings in this mission. Lord knows I could and that would be a penance for you to sit here for hours and listen to them. But today is the feast of Corpus Christi and I can do something different.

A few years ago, a student had written something of a description of Mass. She said that Father Dunn was really funny but when it came to the Consecration, “he means business.” Bingo! Strike the medal, print the certificate, and make me a Monsignor! I have to humbly admit that this is something I am really proud of! And this is one of the many reasons why I am leaving this parish very contented. And I think this is very correct.

Over these years you have come to know me and know about me. You know of my love for dognuts and my need for coffee. You can describe my humor as a mix of the Simpson’s and Monty Python. You know I like photography but don’t like fish and vegetables. You know I do not take myself too seriously but know that “I mean business” when it matters. I’m only mildly concerned with conduct but full-throttled on consecration. Religious behavior may be nice, but holiness is all that really matters. That student got it. Most of you – I think – have as well.

It’s all been really quite simple. Bread and wine become – by grace – the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. It’s why I’ve been here and it remains so long after we’re all gone. If God cannot transubstantiate bread and wine, we have no hope of Him doing much with us. The Eucharist says that we have hope. No kid is so bad at school that they will never amount to much. No teenager is so rebellious that they can have no future. No adult can mess up their lives that happiness is a road they will never find. The complications and drama of fallen human nature seem so much more than the simplicity of a little food. And that is a witness of hope since God says, “if I can do that with bread and wine, imagine what I can do with you.” What we believe of the Eucharist is ultimately what we believe of our salvation.

And when it comes to that, I am glad that some at least, were able to see that I mean business. All the joking and joshing were honest, but they were a trick. I did not mean to glad-hand you so you would like me. I did most of that so you would see that consecration was not a mysterious or remote thing for crazed religious types. You are as ordinary as bread and wine and because you are, you are capable of an amazing grace. I know some were (and are) shocked at my forward and familiar manner. Religiosity is too much work for some one as lazy as me. But hopefully you saw that I took what is essential as just that – essential.

But I cannot let a day like this pass without thanking you for the response. Over the past days since I announced my new assignment, I have received some very kind notes and emails. Many have said – with honest emotion – some very heart-warming things. I am aware from my own experience how difficult this move can be, especially on the younger ones. In fact, after one of the Masses two weeks ago, a parent was trying to explain to their tearful child, “Father Dunn will be in a better place.” I guess I should have worn my Monty Python t-shirt saying ‘I’m not dead yet!’ But in another sense, there are similarities. Some one you have known – and for some, all their lives - is not there anymore. And believe me, it goes in both directions! This is a testament to the goodness that we find here. The sadness is a witness to something beyond personality or talents. Even as this is difficult, we are here doing what we did so often that created the opportunity for the pain of parting.

I could regale you with countless funny stories that are mostly accurate and totally true. I think that we can wait for the book if I ever get my act together to write it! Don’t worry – you’re names will all be changed to protect the guilty! And you can email me your favorite ones to make sure they received proper consideration. But one story, early on, set the stage. It taught me what you were like and how I am being perceived. It showed the tremendous weight of influence and the responsibility for it. The characters may even be here today.

A couple of months after arriving, I was in the school on a crisp fall morning. Two 8th graders were walking by after the 8:30 Mass. The first said, “nice homily, Father.” The second said, “yeah, we heard that one last year.”

So, I ask you, how sad can I truly be, that I am leaving this assignment knowing that you listened, that you knew I meant business and that you even got a laugh or two along the way? You’ve seen me deal with MS and – literally – picked me up on that road. I discovered the meaning of community on that difficult September day and learned a new dimension of prayer that night here in this place. I saw thousands eat tons of food from Cathy’s Kitchen at the Festival and saw those same people carrying trays to the homes of those who just lost a relative. I was assigned to a parish that had adults who formed a rock band. I saw children in a burst of talent on stage and kids being comforted after they lost the game. I saw terrified grooms and giddy brides. I saw equally terrified children before First Confession and equally giddy souls who knew the mercy of God soon after.

It would be trite, even if accurate, to say that these were the ‘best of times and the worst of times.’ We have all grown or regressed a bit like the Hudson River we are so lucky to know so well. And time bears all things away, including us. Change is both the burden and the privilege of being human. This is one of those. But there are things that never change. Time stands still before them. The Eucharistic reality of consecration is one of these. Our belief as Catholics in the Transubstantiation of bread and wine is echoed in the hope we have of human beings transfigured by grace. The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in this sacrament will always be bolstered by those who find that Presence in daily life.

For the joy and challenge of perceiving this here, I thank you. All the other stuff was great - it really was - but nothing like this. And, yes, I am sad that this easy and warm community will be farther away, I leave partially answering my first question: from what I have seen here and in whatever way I may have been a part of it, we must be doing something right.

The rest is up to you.

Sunday Readings

Folks, this is moving weekend (2-3 June)
so I'm off the hook for a homily.

The big news about my transfer is HERE