Sunday, August 10, 2008St. Clement’s Catholic Church
Saratoga Springs, NY
1 Kings 19: 9a, 11 – 13a
Psalm 85: 9, 10, 11 – 12, 13 – 14
Romans 9: 1 – 5
Matthew 14: 22 – 33
Over the past few weeks here in Saratoga people have been trying to gather information. They have been checking the internet and trying to find out what they can about a certain individual. Where are they from? What have they done in the past? What can I expect from them this time around? You can try to gather as much information as possible about someone but as soon as you see them you get an even better picture of who they are. So the information has been gathered, processed and then people have gone to the window to place their bets on that individual and sometimes you pick the winning horse at the track and other times you don’t. That’s life in Saratoga during the month of August.
Yes, besides trying to get all the necessary information on the ponies, some others here in Saratoga have been wondering about the individual who is the new pastor here at St. Clement’s. Well, here I am. As you know my name is Fr. Paul Borowski and I am originally from Baltimore, MD. I’m not going to give you my entire life story and my life as a Redemptorist, those stories will come out in the years to come here at St. Clement’s. All I’ll tell you now is that my last Parish Assignment was in 1989. Since then I have been involved in studying (obtaining a Philosophy Degree from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium), teaching Philosophy (primarily Business Ethics) at St. John’s University in Queens, NY and involved with the training of Redemptorist Seminarians at Whitestone, NY where I just finished up six years of being Director of the Program. After sixteen years in the same room and office I am still trying to unpack all that “stuff” that came up Interstate 87 with me. So, here I am back in parish life after nineteen years and yes, this is the first time I have been a Pastor. I begin my time here by asking all of you to pray that I may be a good pastor.
It has been a whirlwind of a few days since I arrived. I have felt at home though from the start and thank not only the fine parish staff here, the parishioners I have met during the week but in a special way would like to thank my Redemptorist brothers, Fr. Sullivan and Fr. Tuttle for making me feel as if this has always been my home. Yes, I already feel at home and it is good to be here.
Enough of that now, what about the readings for today. Let me share with you a story about a man who was foolish enough to go mountain climbing by himself. He went off to the high mountains, armed with all the necessary equipment. Sturdy climbing shoes, strong rope and the needed hooks to go for a climb up a rocky mountain. The only thing he did not have was a climbing companion. When he was three quarters of the way up the mountain, he slipped and began to fall. His rope snapped but he was able to grab onto a tree limb sticking out of the mountain. There he was suspended between heaven and earth. No way to climb up, and too far down to drop. He was not much of a religious man but in his despair he cried out: “If there is a God in the heavens, help me!” To his surprise he heard a voice from the heavens say: “Do you believe?” Well, what else was the man to do so he shouted up: “Yes, I believe!” The voice from above said: “Will you do whatever I ask?” The man’s quick response was: “Of course!” The voice from the heavens said: “Let go.” The man looked down, looked back up to the heavens and shouted out: “Is there anyone else up there?”
The message of our Gospel today is simply that: Let go and trust in God. So often we lead lives paralyzed by fear. So often we say that we cannot do such and such a thing because it is too hard. I can’t reach out in love to that person because it is too tough. Too often in our lives we say: “I can’t” simply because we are afraid to try. The message of Christ today is to let him help, let him take away whatever paralyzes us by fear.
In the Gospel the disciples are in their boat as it is being tossed around by a terrible storm. The storms of this recent week have been terrifying and I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be out on the water in one of these storms. So, the disciples are actually afraid for their lives fearing they will soon all be drowned. On top of the fear of the storm, they look up and see a figure moving across the water. Storm on the water, figure walking across the sea – I’m officially scared for my life! In the midst of this terrifying scene the words of Jesus rise above the wind and waves so that the disciples hear: “Take courage, it is I do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) In the midst of our fears, like the disciples, we should realize the presence of our God who tells us to not be afraid.
Now, no one in the Church I imagine has a problem with Jesus walking on the water. He can do it because he’s God, no questions asked. However in the next few lines of the Gospel, Peter does something that no mere human being had ever done before. Peter, full of sinfulness and full of pride, asks the Lord to let him come to him across the water. And for a few moments a mere man – not God – took a few steps on the water. The impossible becomes possible with belief and trust in our God. But after a few steps, human frailty kicks in for Peter and he begins to sink and cries out: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30) What does our Lord do? He lets Peter sink – end of story. No, rather he reaches out his hand, catches Peter and saves him. Trusting and believing in God, all things are possible. And when we falter and fail, our God does not abandon us but is right there beside us picking us up and grasping our hand.
Living as a Catholic in today’s world is tough; some might call it even impossible. We want to do the right thing but sometimes we let fear get in the way and we take the easy way out. We live in an age where we are bombarded with messages to take care of only ourselves, worry about number one, and look after yourself because no one else will. The message of our Church might seem impossible but it calls us to love one another, to die to self, to think of the other in their time of need. At times walking on water might seem easier to do than living as a Catholic in today’s society.
So, we trust and believe that we can live as our God asks us. Tough but we don’t do it alone. We gather each and every Sunday here around the table of the Lord so that when we walk out these Church doors and are asked to do the impossible we have the strength to do so. He feeds us with His Body and Blood so that as we walk by faith we walk not alone. We gather each and every Sunday with this community of faith so that we can be of support to one another to live in love as Jesus asks us to. But if we falter, let us hear the words of our Savior as he says to us: “Take courage, it is I do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) He won’t let us drown; he won’t let us falter; he’ll be there to grasp us by the hand and journey with us.
1 Kings 19: 9a, 11 – 13a
Psalm 85: 9, 10, 11 – 12, 13 – 14
Romans 9: 1 – 5
Matthew 14: 22 – 33
Over the past few weeks here in Saratoga people have been trying to gather information. They have been checking the internet and trying to find out what they can about a certain individual. Where are they from? What have they done in the past? What can I expect from them this time around? You can try to gather as much information as possible about someone but as soon as you see them you get an even better picture of who they are. So the information has been gathered, processed and then people have gone to the window to place their bets on that individual and sometimes you pick the winning horse at the track and other times you don’t. That’s life in Saratoga during the month of August.
Yes, besides trying to get all the necessary information on the ponies, some others here in Saratoga have been wondering about the individual who is the new pastor here at St. Clement’s. Well, here I am. As you know my name is Fr. Paul Borowski and I am originally from Baltimore, MD. I’m not going to give you my entire life story and my life as a Redemptorist, those stories will come out in the years to come here at St. Clement’s. All I’ll tell you now is that my last Parish Assignment was in 1989. Since then I have been involved in studying (obtaining a Philosophy Degree from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium), teaching Philosophy (primarily Business Ethics) at St. John’s University in Queens, NY and involved with the training of Redemptorist Seminarians at Whitestone, NY where I just finished up six years of being Director of the Program. After sixteen years in the same room and office I am still trying to unpack all that “stuff” that came up Interstate 87 with me. So, here I am back in parish life after nineteen years and yes, this is the first time I have been a Pastor. I begin my time here by asking all of you to pray that I may be a good pastor.
It has been a whirlwind of a few days since I arrived. I have felt at home though from the start and thank not only the fine parish staff here, the parishioners I have met during the week but in a special way would like to thank my Redemptorist brothers, Fr. Sullivan and Fr. Tuttle for making me feel as if this has always been my home. Yes, I already feel at home and it is good to be here.
Enough of that now, what about the readings for today. Let me share with you a story about a man who was foolish enough to go mountain climbing by himself. He went off to the high mountains, armed with all the necessary equipment. Sturdy climbing shoes, strong rope and the needed hooks to go for a climb up a rocky mountain. The only thing he did not have was a climbing companion. When he was three quarters of the way up the mountain, he slipped and began to fall. His rope snapped but he was able to grab onto a tree limb sticking out of the mountain. There he was suspended between heaven and earth. No way to climb up, and too far down to drop. He was not much of a religious man but in his despair he cried out: “If there is a God in the heavens, help me!” To his surprise he heard a voice from the heavens say: “Do you believe?” Well, what else was the man to do so he shouted up: “Yes, I believe!” The voice from above said: “Will you do whatever I ask?” The man’s quick response was: “Of course!” The voice from the heavens said: “Let go.” The man looked down, looked back up to the heavens and shouted out: “Is there anyone else up there?”
The message of our Gospel today is simply that: Let go and trust in God. So often we lead lives paralyzed by fear. So often we say that we cannot do such and such a thing because it is too hard. I can’t reach out in love to that person because it is too tough. Too often in our lives we say: “I can’t” simply because we are afraid to try. The message of Christ today is to let him help, let him take away whatever paralyzes us by fear.
In the Gospel the disciples are in their boat as it is being tossed around by a terrible storm. The storms of this recent week have been terrifying and I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be out on the water in one of these storms. So, the disciples are actually afraid for their lives fearing they will soon all be drowned. On top of the fear of the storm, they look up and see a figure moving across the water. Storm on the water, figure walking across the sea – I’m officially scared for my life! In the midst of this terrifying scene the words of Jesus rise above the wind and waves so that the disciples hear: “Take courage, it is I do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) In the midst of our fears, like the disciples, we should realize the presence of our God who tells us to not be afraid.
Now, no one in the Church I imagine has a problem with Jesus walking on the water. He can do it because he’s God, no questions asked. However in the next few lines of the Gospel, Peter does something that no mere human being had ever done before. Peter, full of sinfulness and full of pride, asks the Lord to let him come to him across the water. And for a few moments a mere man – not God – took a few steps on the water. The impossible becomes possible with belief and trust in our God. But after a few steps, human frailty kicks in for Peter and he begins to sink and cries out: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30) What does our Lord do? He lets Peter sink – end of story. No, rather he reaches out his hand, catches Peter and saves him. Trusting and believing in God, all things are possible. And when we falter and fail, our God does not abandon us but is right there beside us picking us up and grasping our hand.
Living as a Catholic in today’s world is tough; some might call it even impossible. We want to do the right thing but sometimes we let fear get in the way and we take the easy way out. We live in an age where we are bombarded with messages to take care of only ourselves, worry about number one, and look after yourself because no one else will. The message of our Church might seem impossible but it calls us to love one another, to die to self, to think of the other in their time of need. At times walking on water might seem easier to do than living as a Catholic in today’s society.
So, we trust and believe that we can live as our God asks us. Tough but we don’t do it alone. We gather each and every Sunday here around the table of the Lord so that when we walk out these Church doors and are asked to do the impossible we have the strength to do so. He feeds us with His Body and Blood so that as we walk by faith we walk not alone. We gather each and every Sunday with this community of faith so that we can be of support to one another to live in love as Jesus asks us to. But if we falter, let us hear the words of our Savior as he says to us: “Take courage, it is I do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) He won’t let us drown; he won’t let us falter; he’ll be there to grasp us by the hand and journey with us.
I think at times these first few days here at St. Clement’s I have felt like I’ve been asked to do something impossible. I know at times over the past few days I’ve sat at the desk in my office and become paralyzed by fear of the tremendous task of being Pastor to this faith community. As I try to come to understand all that needs to be done here I sometimes think walking on water might be an easier task. But then I tell myself to let go of my fear and take courage, grasp the hand of the Lord and walk. I realize that the task before me is not impossible because I walk hand in hand with this blessed faith community and Jesus Christ.
And so I begin to walk as your pastor, trusting and believing in our God who will not abandon us. I’m sure there will be times over the coming days, months and years that I will be like Peter and begin to doubt and feel as if I am sinking – may this Gospel always come to mind so that I may grasp the hand of my Lord. Perhaps, like me today, some of you may be facing something that seems tough and impossible. Hear the words of Jesus come to you now: “Take courage, it is I do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)
As we begin this next Chapter in the life of this parish of St. Clement’s may we also do so with the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help. She too heard similar words proclaimed to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30) May our response to the call of God be the same as hers: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) May our good and gracious God always grasp us by the hand. AMEN!
And so I begin to walk as your pastor, trusting and believing in our God who will not abandon us. I’m sure there will be times over the coming days, months and years that I will be like Peter and begin to doubt and feel as if I am sinking – may this Gospel always come to mind so that I may grasp the hand of my Lord. Perhaps, like me today, some of you may be facing something that seems tough and impossible. Hear the words of Jesus come to you now: “Take courage, it is I do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)
As we begin this next Chapter in the life of this parish of St. Clement’s may we also do so with the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help. She too heard similar words proclaimed to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30) May our response to the call of God be the same as hers: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) May our good and gracious God always grasp us by the hand. AMEN!
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