During the liturgical season of Lent, as we contemplate the Passion and Death of our dear Lord, we traditionally make sacrifices and intensify our prayer lives. We desire that, by the time Easter arrives, we may find ourselves closer to our Creator in holiness. Perhaps, we can grow closer to God during this season by identifying and possibly overcoming at least one impediment to such holiness.

I was recently introduced to a beautiful prayer entitled “The Litany of Humility.” I felt as if it were written specifically with me in mind, as I pray daily for the grace of increased humility, among many other necessary graces. Humility, it is said, is the greatest virtue to cultivate because it fights against the worst vice: pride. Humility does not mean thinking less of ourselves, but, rather, it means thinking of ourselves less.

The authorship of this “Litany of Humility” is generally attributed to Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val y Zulueta, Servant of God, who spent many years as a Vatican diplomat within the Roman Curia. Most notably, he served as the Cardinal Secretary of State under Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914) and, in the papacies of Pope Benedict XV and Pope Pius XI, as the secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office (1914-1930), in which role Merry del Val served until his death.

Merry del Val is little remembered among the laity today, almost 100 years after his death, but at least, I thought, he would be remembered for his beautiful “Litany of Humility.” I then discovered that, in reality, this Litany had been written many years earlier by an unknown author and had only been modified by Merry del Val, yet, to this day, it is nevertheless primarily attributed to his authorship.

I wish to share this wonderful prayer with you today, as we begin our Lenten journey. If you, like me, seek the graces which flow from humility, pray it often throughout this Lenten season, and pray it well!

Today, the Church celebrates the Epiphany of the Lord, marking the occasion upon which Jesus is first revealed as the long-awaited King and Messiah. We celebrate the mystery of this initial manifestation of Christ's kingship and divinity.

In today’s Gospel, St. Matthew describes the appearance of the Magi, their encounter with the scheming King Herod, and their following of the star to the place of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. We hear of Herod’s deceptive plan to rid the world of this rival king and the Magi’s presentation of the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts represent responses to God’s greatest gift of all: the Gift of Himself upon all mankind, to the exclusion of none. Our Lord desires that this gift be spread universally throughout the Earth. This is a task meant for each one of us. Pope Benedict XVI wrote that, “By becoming man in Mary’s womb, the Son of God did not only come for the People of Israel but also for the whole of humanity.”

We, like the Wise Men, seek the light that Jesus brings into the world. The Magi make their long journey to see this light and to worship. As Pope Francis explains, these wise men were guided by an inner restlessness and were open to something new.

Pope Francis further teaches that the Magi personify all who believe, all who long for God, and all who yearn for their heavenly homeland. “A holy longing for God wells up in the heart of believers because they know that the Gospel is not an event of the past but of the present. A holy longing for God helps us keep alert in the face of every attempt to reduce and impoverish our life. Herod is unable to worship because he would not change his own way of looking at things. He did not want to stop worshiping himself, believing that everything revolved around him. He was unable to worship, because his aim was to make others worship him.”

Like Herod, is there anything in our lives that hinder us in our worship of God? Might we, like Herod, sometimes see God as a sort of rival? Might we, too, be blind to His signs and deaf to His words because we think He is setting limits on our life and does not allow us to dispose of our existence as we please?

Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that we must “rid our minds and hearts of the idea of rivalry, of the idea that making room for God is a constraint on us. We must open ourselves to the certainty that God is almighty love that takes nothing away, that does not threaten; on the contrary, He is the Only One who can give us the possibility of living to the full, of experiencing true joy.”

Pope Benedict XVI urged us, like the Magi, to be guided by the star that is the Word of God and the Light of Christ, so that we too shall become stars for others, a reflection of that light which Christ shines upon us.

“I thank you, dear Lord, for this day and for every day.” This is a simple and beautiful prayer by which we may begin and end each day.

As Thanksgiving approaches, many look upon it as the start of the Christmas season or, if we are to be in sync with popular culture, the so‐called “holiday” season. In reality, it is neither, and it is sad to think that we are so anxious to skip over the joyous anticipation found in the season of Advent, which has not yet even begun. In fact, many pay little attention to the great importance of Thanksgiving itself, a day dedicated to expressing our gratitude to a good and generous God for the wondrous gifts He has bestowed upon us.

As we count our blessings, we offer thanks for our good health, the comfort and security of our homes, families, friends, employment, the spectacular beauty of the autumn leaves, and so much more. There are many, of course, who may be experiencing poor health or unemployment, having difficulty paying the bills, encountering conflict within their families, or not enjoying the company of family or friends. So many of those around us struggle with loneliness, depression, and isolation. Whatever our situation may be, we still must take the time to identify the ways in which God has been generous to us.

We need to thank God for the abundant blessings and graces He bestows upon us, not only on Thanksgiving but every day. Many blessings are easy to recognize, while others are not and may escape our notice. We can offer thanks in our daily prayers and in our participation in the Holy Mass, the greatest prayer of all. The word “Eucharist” itself originates from the Greek word “eucharistia,” meaning “thanksgiving”; therefore, gratitude is clearly one of those fundamental essentials of faith and life.

Some of our greatest teachers remind us of the necessity of constantly giving thanks to almighty God. In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul writes: “Be thankful… 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.” (Col 3: 15‐17) Thomas Merton, the American Trappist monk and theologian, tells us: “To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us, and He has given us everything.”

We should make every effort to truly celebrate Thanksgiving by expressing our gratitude for God’s love, generosity, mercy, and, most particularly, for the gift of life itself. God loves us immeasurably, and that is indeed the greatest of all blessings. Even our Lord reminds us of the necessity to give thanks: “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” (Lk 17:17‐18)

Indeed, we truly thank you, dear Lord, for this day and for every day.

Today, as we celebrate the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, should we look at the Church calendar, we find that this day is immediately preceded and followed by several Feasts and Memorials of Saints who have had a tremendous impact upon the Catholic faithful. These include: St. Januarius, popularly known as San Gennaro, Bishop, (Sept. 19); Saints Andrew Kim Tae‐gŏn, Priest, Paul Chŏng Ha‐sang, Seminarian, and Companions, Martyrs, (Sept. 20); St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, (Sept. 21); St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest, (Sept. 23); Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs, (Sept. 26); St. Vincent de Paul, Priest, (Sept. 27); St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs, (Sept. 28); Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels, (Sept. 29); St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church, (Sept. 30); and St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the “Little Flower,” Virgin and Doctor of the Church, (Oct. 1). In addition, although not his Memorial, September 26 marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Pope St. Paul VI, who occupied the chair of St. Peter from 1963 to 1978.

These Saints, which represent only a small sampling among countless others, serve as a powerful reminder of the rich traditions and history to be found in Roman Catholicism. Pope St. John Paul II said, “The Saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church’s history.” Moreover, they can inspire each of us to focus on our own sanctification, as we travel along our own paths to holiness. Our beloved Saints gave of themselves entirely to Christ and, in return, our dear Lord has given them entirely over to us. What beautiful spiritual treasures our Lord has bestowed upon us in His Saints.

The Saints are available for us to call upon in time of need, allowing us to seek their intercession before the throne of God, but even more than that, we can learn a great deal from these amazing men and women. What tremendous role models our Lord has provided to us. If we perhaps put down our cell phones and turn off our computers and televisions a bit more often, we might find ourselves with more quiet time available to read the biographies of some of these great people. We can start by identifying one or two Saints in which we might find some particular interest, attraction, or inspiration, pick out some good books written about them or written by them, and grow to know them more intimately. By doing so, we may find ourselves developing a greater devotion to them and discover tremendous inspiration in these wonderful gifts from God.

Our Catholic traditions are vast and beautiful, and the more time we spend becoming familiar with our Saints, the more certain we are to grow in holiness and to follow them along the path which leads to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the months leading to ordination, my nine classmates and I experienced great stress. The accumulation of weekly reading assignments, research papers, examinations, not to mention the constant pressures of our jobs and family obligations, all added to the anxiety.

As is often the case, even among those preparing for Holy Orders, we allowed the increased stress and long hours of work to interfere with our prayer lives. We found ourselves spending less quality time in prayer, when in fact we needed to spend much more time with our dear Lord. There seemed to be forces at work to discourage us as we approached ordination. We spent more time worrying about keeping up and less time seeking God’s assistance.

This all changed in mid‐May, when Deacon Orlando arranged for the 10 of us to spend five days on a silent retreat at Mount Saviour, a Benedictine Monastery located in the hills outside of Elmira, New York. In this bucolic setting, the only sounds to be heard were the bleating of the many sheep and lambs surrounding the monastery and the ringing of the chapel bells six times a day as they summoned us to daily Mass and to praying the Liturgy of the Hours with the monks. Although time was set aside for group discussions, for the most part, we passed our days in silent prayer and reflection. It was in this silence that we found the peace and tranquility which can only be found in Jesus. The doubts, stress, and anxiety of the preceding months quickly disappeared and were replaced with the loving, reassuring presence of Christ.

In the sixth chapter of Mark’s gospel, Jesus tells His apostles to “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” It was on this retreat that Jesus spoke the same words to us. Notice that Jesus does not tell the 12 to “GO” away by yourselves, but rather, to “COME” away. This clearly suggests that when we go to our silent and deserted places, it is there that we will encounter God. It was on this retreat that our dear Lord was calling us to spend essential time alone with Him.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus repeatedly demonstrated the importance of quiet prayer as He prepared for His earthly ministry and before every major event in His life. Many times, circumstances may cause us to feel overwhelmed, lonely, and anxious. If we heed the words of Jesus and follow His example, we will come to the realization that the remedy is to draw closer to Him: the One who created us, the One who loves us.

Whether we realize it or not, we all need the strength and grace of the Holy Spirit to help us face the challenges of life. Despite all the noise and distractions of the world, we must do our best to listen for the voice of our Lord in the silence. Let us therefore respond to Jesus’ call to “come away” with Him every day. We need not drive four hours to a monastery to do so; it can be done before the Blessed Sacrament in church, behind the closed doors of our offices at work, or in the quiet of our own rooms. So, as we encounter our daily challenges and as we try to serve God and each other, it is essential that we make time to spend alone, not really alone, but alone with our loving God.

Six years ago, Fr. Sorgie called me into his office in order to discuss a business matter concerning the parish. At the end of our conversation, he surprised me by asking if I had ever considered the priesthood as a young man. I had, in fact, in my early 20s, but after several years of prayer and discernment, our Lord guided me to the realization that the priesthood was not my vocation. It became clear to me that I was called to married life.

On the day Fr. Sorgie had asked me that question, I had been married for over 20 years with four teenaged children. I was again faced with the prospect that perhaps the sacrament of Holy Orders was indeed in my future ‐‐ not as a priest, but as a deacon. This certainly was not something to which I had ever given any serious thought. After several months of consideration and prayer, I let Father know that I did sense a calling to the Diaconate, but I was still uncertain. Fr. Sorgie immediately introduced me to the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer of the universal Church, and gently suggested that I start praying the morning, evening, and night prayers each day. That September, I enrolled as an Inquirer in the Diaconate Formation Program at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, under the guidance of Deacon Frank Orlando.

Although our class started off with about 20 candidates, by the end of five years of study and preparation, 10 of us remained to be ordained. We ranged in age from our early 50s to our early 60s, and we came from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Our ordination class was comprised of a trial attorney, a surgeon, a CPA, a retired police officer, a carpenter, an elevator service contractor, a barber, an air conditioning and heating provider, a Catholic Spanish radio broadcaster, and myself, a lowly title insurance attorney. Yet with all of our differences, we were drawn together by our common love of God and His Church, and our desire to serve others, through that Church, by bringing Christ into their lives.

After five years of study, research papers, examinations, spiritual exercises, and much prayer, we were ordained by Timothy Cardinal Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral last Saturday, June 18, 2022. As it turns out, none of us slept the night before ordination. We all grappled with feelings of anticipation, nervousness, unworthiness, and wonder while experiencing excitement and pure joy at the same time. The ordination Mass was magnificent, and the chanting of the Litany of the Saints, as we lay on the floor of the sanctuary in complete submission to our heavenly Father, caused many of us to shed tears; we were overcome with emotion. Adding to my joy was the presence of so many members of my family, our wonderful parish, and the Knights of Columbus.

The following day, I was blessed with the joy of serving my first Mass here at Immaculate Conception. This Mass, as concelebrated by Fr. Sorgie and all of our priests, along with Fr. Paul Waddell, was nothing less than magnificent, and the heavenly voices of our choir enhanced the liturgy and brought to mind the angels and saints who were most certainly present with us.

Afterwards, our parish family gathered in the lower church to celebrate our Lord’s generosity, with a luncheon hosted by the Knights of Columbus and the Pastoral Council. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful weekend. I give thanks to all who were a part of it, and, most of all, I give thanks to our dear Lord for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon me and my family. Now, pray God, let the good work begin.