In each Sunday bulletin, our pastor, Fr. John, shares with the parish community enriching insight on the many facets of our faith, life, and society. We invite you to read and take in the inspiring and motivating message imparted to us through the wisdom of Fr. John.
En cada boletín dominical, nuestro párroco, el P. John, comparte con la comunidad parroquial información enriquecedora sobre las muchas facetas de nuestra fe, vida y sociedad. Lo invitamos a leer y asimilar el mensaje inspirador y motivador que nos imparte a través de la sabiduría del P. John.
Pastor's Corner (32)
Rincon del PÁRROCO (32)
EnglishLORD, TEACH US TO PRAY (32) My ‘what have I done?’ moment, after seeing a romantic scene in the movie, ‘Oliver,’ did not last long. I decided to ask to renew my temporary vows with the Oblates of St. Joseph in early September of 1975. I was accustomed to writing a letter home almost every week since the time I entered the seminary back in the Fall of 1967. My mother wrote me a letter almost every week for nearly a 25-year period. I saved all of her letters and she saved all of mine. Eventually I re-possessed some of my more important letters home and put them in my ‘memory trunk.’ That is how I am able to share parts of these letters with you from this critical time when I was learning to listen and hear the ‘voice’ of God for my special vocation in life. Here is part of a letter from April 25, 1976. “On Easter night I had a chance to talk to a good Jesuit friend of mine. His name is John also, and he’ll be ordained a priest on May 1st. It was a great blessing to share some of my discouragements with him because his counsel has really shed a ray of light on how I view my situation. Feelings of awkwardness, anxiety and mild depression have been troubling me for years (almost in a cyclical pattern) and causing me to doubt my ability to love well in religious life and priestly ministry. These troublesome feelings make me wonder if I have really been called to the course I am on. Once I begin to doubt my vocational discernment, it has a paralyzing effect on me. Each new disappointment in my encounters with others adds fuel to the fire and makes me more and more timid. But with John’s helpful suggestions, I find now that I can be clear about my desire for the values I would like to realize as an Oblate priest. Since this desire has already weathered much time and testing, I have renewed confidence that my desire is my call. With the major vocational question better resolved, I find that I can start facing my storehouse of wounded feelings, painful memories and self-defeating habits with renewed vigor and hope in the Lord’s healing power.” (More to come).
Blessings, Fr. John |
EspaNolSEÑOR, ENSÉÑANOS A ORAR (32). “Que he hecho?”, Después de ver una escena romántica de la película, “Oliver”, no duro mucho. Decidí renovar mis votos temporales con los Oblatos de San José a principios de septiembre de 1975. Estaba acostumbrado a escribir una carta a casa casi todas las semanas desde que ingrese al seminario en el otoño de 1967. Mi madre me escribía una carta casi todas las semanas durante un periodo de casi 25 años. Guardé todas sus cartas y ella eso lo mismo con las mías. Casualmente, volví a poseer algunas de mis cartas mas importantes que envía a casa y las puse en mi “memoria”. Así es como ahora puedo compartir parte de estas cartas con ustedes del ponto critico de cuando estaba aprendiendo a escuchar la voz de Dios para esa vocación especial en mi vida. Aquí esta parte de una carta del 25 de abril de 1976. “En la noche de Pascua tuve la oportunidad de hablar con un buen amigo mío Jesuit. Su nombre es John también y el será ordenado sacerdote el primero de mayo. Fue una gran bendición compartir algunos de mis desalientos con el porque su consejo realmente ha arrojado un rayo de luz sobre como observaba mi situación. Los sentimientos de incomodidad, ansiedad y depresión me han estado molestando por años (como algo que gira en movimiento circular) y causando en mi una duda de mi capacidad de amar la vida religiosa y en el ministerio sacerdotal. Estos sentimientos problemáticos me hacen preguntarme si realmente soy llamado al destino en el que estoy. El momento que comenzó a dudar de mi discernimiento vocacional, tiene un efecto paralizante en mí. Cada nueva decepción en mis encuentros con los demás agrega fuego y me hace cada vez más tímido. Pero con la ayuda y sugerencias de John, ahora encuentro más claridad en mi deseo por los valores que me gustaría realizar como sacerdote Oblato. Dado que este deseo ya ha resistido mucho tiempo y pruebas, he renovado la confianza de que mi deseo es mí decisión. Con la cuestión vocacional el resultado ha mejorado y me encuentro que puedo comenzar a enfrentar mis sentimientos, heridos, recuerdos dolorosos y hábitos autodestructivos con renovar mi fuerza y esperanza en el poder del Señor” (Más por venir).
Bendiciones, Padre John |
Archive | Archivo
Message from your pastor - Mensaje de su PÁRROCO
Our Pastor, Fr. John Warburton O.S.J.
During my last year of high school I fell in love with a beautiful sophomore named Mary Jo. Part of the attractiveness of Mary Jo was that she was so good and so caring. She was a convinced Catholic who was putting obedience to God’s will at the center of her life. She spoke openly about the possibility that God may be calling her to be a nun. When it became apparent that Mary Jo was in love with me too, I was walking on air. It was at that point that I fell in love with God. I became convinced that God exists, God is Love, God is Good, and that God created me to know, love and serve Him. Suddenly the seminary became an attractive option to me. I saw it as a place where I could learn how to listen to God, discover his will for my life and then put my whole heart into his call for me. Mary Jo exhibited the virtue and the selfless love to encourage me in this pursuit. What a blessing!
I investigated two local religious communities. I chose to start my quest to know my vocation with the Oblates of St. Joseph. I felt “at home” when I visited them for a week. I was attracted by their family spirit and by the friendliness of the priests and brothers. Their simple ideal of serving the interests of Jesus in imitation of St. Joseph appealed to me. Within four months I became so impressed by the priest in charge of the seminary, that I wrote in my journal, “Lord, if you would give me the grace to be a good priest, I would say, ‘Yes!” Seven years of prayer and quandary followed.
I suffered from feelings of insecurity. I was not at all sure whether I was talented enough to be a good priest- preacher- teacher- counselor- pastor. My aunt, a Sister of St. Joseph in Kansas, sent me a transcribed homily by a Jesuit priest, Fr. Michael Buckley. He put the question: “Are you weak enough to be a priest of Jesus Christ?” He then reflected on the mystery described by St. Paul wherein, through weakness, God’s power is perfected. This encouraged me. I began to discern the difference between faith dependence on God and self centered self reliance. Gradually, my life with the Oblate brothers, priests and seminarians led to more trust in God in imitation of St. Joseph. My involvement with a charismatic prayer community was also a big help to me.
I began to ask the question, “What is the deepest desire that God has placed in my heart?” I found myself with two deep desires: celibacy for the sake of the kingdom and marriage for the sake of the kingdom. I was afraid to choose; afraid of making a mistake. I wanted God to just tell me what to do like I imagined he did for Saul of Tarsus. By that time my friend, Mary Jo, had discerned that her vocation was to marriage. At first I thought, “Well that’s it! That’s the sign I have been waiting for!” But Mary Jo was mature enough and selfless enough to challenge me toward a more authentic discernment. One night, in the course of writing a fourteen page letter to try and sort things out, it was as if God put this thought immediately and directly into my mind: “You decide what you really want to do and I will back you up with all the graces you need to do it.” With that assurance, it was as if I was back to the question I had written in my journal seven years earlier. And so I said, “Yes!” And here I am, doing what I really want to do as an Oblate of St. Joseph priest with all the graces I need to do it. What else can go right!
The Lord has blessed Mary Jo with a good marriage and family. She continues to be an inspiration to me and I try to be the same for her and for all.
--from osjusa.org
I investigated two local religious communities. I chose to start my quest to know my vocation with the Oblates of St. Joseph. I felt “at home” when I visited them for a week. I was attracted by their family spirit and by the friendliness of the priests and brothers. Their simple ideal of serving the interests of Jesus in imitation of St. Joseph appealed to me. Within four months I became so impressed by the priest in charge of the seminary, that I wrote in my journal, “Lord, if you would give me the grace to be a good priest, I would say, ‘Yes!” Seven years of prayer and quandary followed.
I suffered from feelings of insecurity. I was not at all sure whether I was talented enough to be a good priest- preacher- teacher- counselor- pastor. My aunt, a Sister of St. Joseph in Kansas, sent me a transcribed homily by a Jesuit priest, Fr. Michael Buckley. He put the question: “Are you weak enough to be a priest of Jesus Christ?” He then reflected on the mystery described by St. Paul wherein, through weakness, God’s power is perfected. This encouraged me. I began to discern the difference between faith dependence on God and self centered self reliance. Gradually, my life with the Oblate brothers, priests and seminarians led to more trust in God in imitation of St. Joseph. My involvement with a charismatic prayer community was also a big help to me.
I began to ask the question, “What is the deepest desire that God has placed in my heart?” I found myself with two deep desires: celibacy for the sake of the kingdom and marriage for the sake of the kingdom. I was afraid to choose; afraid of making a mistake. I wanted God to just tell me what to do like I imagined he did for Saul of Tarsus. By that time my friend, Mary Jo, had discerned that her vocation was to marriage. At first I thought, “Well that’s it! That’s the sign I have been waiting for!” But Mary Jo was mature enough and selfless enough to challenge me toward a more authentic discernment. One night, in the course of writing a fourteen page letter to try and sort things out, it was as if God put this thought immediately and directly into my mind: “You decide what you really want to do and I will back you up with all the graces you need to do it.” With that assurance, it was as if I was back to the question I had written in my journal seven years earlier. And so I said, “Yes!” And here I am, doing what I really want to do as an Oblate of St. Joseph priest with all the graces I need to do it. What else can go right!
The Lord has blessed Mary Jo with a good marriage and family. She continues to be an inspiration to me and I try to be the same for her and for all.
--from osjusa.org
