Category: Fr. Abraham’s Weekly Column

Dear Friends,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. It is rare that the designated date of this feast – June 29- falls on a Sunday. Usually when a feast falls on a Sunday, the feast gets skipped. But not for Peter and Paul whose feast is taking precedence over a Sunday. By giving this feast such prominence the Church is telling us something about Peter and Paul and their importance in our lives and in the lives of the entire Church. Both Peter and Paul are considered apostles, Peter because he was called by Jesus at the Sea of Galilee (Mt 4:18-20; Mk 1:16-18; Lk 5:10) and commissioned with the keys to the kingdom (Mt 16:19) and as the shepherd of the sheep (John 21:15-17); and Paul because he was called by Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4-6) and commissioned “to be an apostle and set apart to proclaim the gospel” (Rom 1:1). Peter is known as the “Prince of Apostles” and the first Pope, and Paul is known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Both are revered as the founders of the Church of Rome and are honored for their contributions to spreading the Christian faith. Both apostles were martyred in Rome, with Peter reportedly crucified upside down and Paul beheaded, symbolizing their ultimate sacrifice for their faith.

The feast emphasizes the unity of the Church despite the diverse backgrounds and experiences of its members, mirroring the unique roles and journeys of Peter and Paul. This diversity is very clear in the differing personalities of Peter and Paul. It may come as a surprise to many of us to know that Peter and Paul had quite a bit of conflict. The biggest conflict they had is narrated by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles. It revolved around whether or not people needed to convert to Judaism before they could become Christians. Becoming Jews first would mean that the men would have to be circumcised and they would have to follow the Jewish dietary laws, including not eating pork, among other things. Paul insisted that people could become Christian without becoming Jewish first; Peter and a whole group of traditionalist Jewish Christians disagreed.

Paul seems to have had a stronger personality. He publicly confronted Peter on this matter. Listen to Paul’s own words in Galatians 2:11-15:  “When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.  For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?”

In the end, Luke describes, in Acts 15, the Jerusalem Council where Peter, listening to the elders and to the Holy Spirit, decided that the non-Jews could become Christians simply by being baptized and not by following Jewish laws.

The great lesson we can all take from these great pillars of the Church is that no matter how different we may be in personalities, ideologies or ethnicity, we can work together for the Kingdom of God as long as we know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is to live in charity and fellowship with all.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers and grandfathers. Coming a month after Mother’s Day, it is only natural for some to compare these two wonderful events. You may have heard the response of a child when asked to describe Father’s Day: “Father’s Day is like Mother’s Day, except the gift is cheaper.” If that is true, then it is a sad truth, because it is not easy being a dad. There are many fine Dads in our congregation, and we want to honor them today. Many fathers are role models like St. Thomas More and St. Louis Martin (the father of the Little Flower), heroes of our Faith.

Even in these days when mothers are doing so much for the family, fathers are expected to be the providers for and the protectors of the family.  They are also supposed to be attuned emotionally and spiritually to their wives and children and to be able to balance careers with family life.  Fathers struggle to overcome temptation and conflict.  They make sacrifices day after day for their families.  They try to give their youngsters the kind of model that surely they deserve above all else, a model of goodness, holiness, faith, trust in God, and fidelity to the teachings of the Church.  This is what Father’s Day should remind us of.   This is a time for all fathers to reflect upon their duties as responsible and well-integrated men.  True fatherhood demands commitment.  Commitment demands maturity, sacrifice, and love.  Fatherhood also demands responsibility.  Every true father will take responsibility for all of his actions.  Our nation has an urgent need for good fathers.

But while the idea of fatherhood is a good one, the reality we see on earth is sometimes quite different.  Some fathers abandon their children, beat them, ridicule or ignore them, abuse them, and damage them psychologically for life. Even good fathers have their limits.  Unfortunately, we unduly sentimentalize fatherhood, the media often ridicule and make fun of it, and some treat it with contempt.  We are reminded time after time of the number of children growing up fatherless because their fathers have abandoned them or their fathers have been unfaithful. This day is a reminder of what all fathers should be.

Yet, the very term ‘Father’ is what we use both for earthly fathers and for our heavenly Father. A favorite gift for Father’s Day is the cap emblazoned with the words “World’s Greatest Dad.”  You may see more of them on the heads of proud fathers everywhere.  There is one dad, however, who doesn’t always get a lot of honor on Father’s Day.  That is the “World’s Greatest Dad,” OUR HEAVENLY FATHER (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:6).

William Wordsworth said: “Father! – to God himself we cannot give a holier name.” God is our spiritual Daddy, actively involved in all areas of our lives.  It is He on Whom we lean in times of pain and hurt; it is He on Whom we call in times of need; it is He Who provides for us in all ways — practical, emotional, and spiritual.  He wants us to think of Him as “Dad.”  This being so, let us take this Father’s Day to honor Him, the REAL “World’s Greatest Dad.”  Many of us pray the “Our Father” day after day, without paying attention to, or experiencing, the love and providence of our Heavenly Father.  Let us pray the Our Father always realizing the meaning of each clause and experiencing the love of our Heavenly Father for us.  May all earthly fathers draw strength from their Heavenly Father!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

Hearty congratulations to our St. Matthias Graduates of the Class of 2025! Each year as we celebrate graduation, we all–parents, school administration, faculty, staff, the Principal, and the priests-go through mixed feelings. Joy and pride at the successful school life completion of these young boys and girls, whose holistic formation was entrusted to us. Sadness and even grief at missing their constant presence as they leave us for their next phase of life’s journey. But we wish them God’s blessings and pray that each of them will become the best version of what God wants them to be.

As we know, this is the graduation season for hundreds of thousands of students all over our country.  But many of them will not have the unique way of celebrating graduation as our 8th graders had here at St. Matthias School: celebrating it with the Holy Mass, followed by the graduation ceremony. The involvement and participation of the graduates in reading, singing, and leading the prayer of petitions brought joy and pride to their families, the faculty, and the administration of the school. The Pre-K and Kindergarten graduation ceremonies also will have the unique Catholic touch, though without Mass. This way of celebrating the graduation gives a distinct identity and message to our children and parents. The catholic identity makes us realize that we continue to further the mission of Jesus Christ through Catholic education. St. Matthias School’s motto, “Faith, Caring and Excellence,” puts our Catholic faith first without diminishing the importance given to caring for the person and striving for excellence in all aspects of school education. Many students received awards for academics and for various other achievements. St. John Paul II rightly said: “The mission of the Catholic school is the integral formation of students…”

We are also aware, as mentioned in earlier editions of the bulletin, that Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal, who has been nurturing these graduates as well as all the students of St. Matthias, will be leaving us. Though I had requested her to reconsider her decision to resign, I respect her decision and I wish to thank her, in the name of all, for her dedication to St. Matthias School. She has been associated with this school for over a decade in various capacities. After a beautiful surprise farewell party for her, she wrote to the faculty and parish staff: “The last 12 years being a part of St. Matthias has been a blessing for me.  I will always attribute my life being changed by Sister Jean when she called and asked if I wanted to be HSA president.  Who would have thought that would have led to me subbing here, teaching here, and then becoming principal.  I love giving my all to everyone here at St. Matthias School… I will definitely miss being here every day….” Thank you Mrs. Lynch, and may God’s grace continue to accompany you.

It is also well known that my own transition was announced as I will take up my next assignment at Our Lady of Peace parish, Fords, on August 1st. Hence I too experience the mixed feelings of joy of fulfilment in the pastoral ministry, and sadness at leaving this beautiful community of St. Matthias. But no matter where we all will move to, we are all part of the People of God and so we will carry our Catholic faith and heritage as well as keep the flag of St. Matthias flying high.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

By now, we have heard a lot about our new Pope – Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. The excitement continues with the totally unexpected choice of an American pope by the Cardinals who attended the Conclave. Though the new Pope is American, now he belongs to the whole world. As one commentator said, one-third of his life was in the US, one-third in Rome, and one-third in Peru. His varied experience – missionary life in Peru, work in the Vatican Dicastry, and American upbringing – will have a bearing on his ability to steer the bark of Peter for years to come.

What is less known may be that he belongs to an order or religious congregation. As we know, Pope Francis was a Jesuit. Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian, and the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to become a pope. The Augustinian Order, fundamentally based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ and later of St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo (354 – 430 A.D.), was founded to live and promote the spirit of community as lived by the first Christian communities (Acts of the Apostles 4, 32-35). It was founded in 1244, when Pope Innocent IV united various groups of hermits in service to the Universal Church as a community of Mendicant Friars. The Order, from its very beginning, has recognized Saint Augustine of Hippo as its father, teacher, and spiritual guide, not only because it has received the “Rule” and the name of the Order from him, but also because it has received from him its doctrine and spirituality.

In his very address to the world as he first appeared at the balcony of St. Peter’s Vatican, Pope Leo said: I am an Augustinian, a son of Saint Augustine, who once said, “With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.”  In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.” That brings so much hope and good feeling about the new papacy. In his first homily the next day of the election, the pope pledged to be a “faithful administrator” of the Catholic church and outlined that the church needs to continue its “missionary outreach.”

These words resonated with me personally as I was a missionary back in India for many years. In our American context, we can easily relate to his exhortation to be a missionary church. “A lack of faith,” Pope Leo underscored, “is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.” Today, he observed, “there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman.”

Acknowledging this happens “not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians,” Pope Leo warned that, as such, they “end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.” With this in mind, Pope Leo reassured the congregation, “This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Christ the Saviour.” “Therefore,” he continued, “it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'”

We thank God for the gift of this pope, this son of our land, as the chief shepherd of the People of God for the whole world. May God continue to use him as the worthy successor of St. Peter.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

Today is the fourth day in May, and many of us know this date as Star Wars Day because of the phrase, “May the force be with you,” used by Jedi masters in the Star Wars movies. While not officially declared, the holiday has been embraced by fans and the Walt Disney Company. I have seen our school students having fun on this day in the past when it fell on a weekday.

I always smile at this phrase of Jedi “May the force be with you,” because even though the sci-fi community in general does not acknowledge the existence of God, this phrase sounds to me, as a clear admission that there is a higher power beyond their control and as their way of surrendering the outcome of a dangerous mission to this higher power they name as “Force” that we Christians name as God or Jesus Christ.

Today, we conclude the Novendiales or Novena in memory of Pope Francis, whose passing brought an unprecedented focus on the Catholic Church in general, and the papacy of Francis in particular. As I mentioned in my homily, it is very important and beneficial for us to reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis. Some asked me about the criticisms of Francis. My only answer is that Jesus himself was criticized, so why are we surprised that Pope Francis is also criticized? And on every point of criticism, I pointed out that Francis was doing exactly the mind of Jesus, even when it brought about some ambiguity and confusion which was meant to make us all rethink and re-evaluate our own attitudes. Therefore, let us reflect on how we might personally have grown because of his words, writings, and witness.

What made Pope Francis so endearing to the whole world? As the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergolio was unpopular with many Argentine politicians because he had been a staunch and brave critic of the corruption and economic inequality there. During Argentina’s military dictatorship in the 1970’s, he was sent into de facto exile in Frankfurt, Germany, and then to the remote Córdoba, Argentina. These difficult years shaped his compassionate worldview and strengthened his resolve to stand with those facing injustice.

Besides his political activism, what often endeared Pope Francis to all was his simplicity, coupled with his tireless immersion in poor communities.  The world saw the way he was able to blend in with the very ordinary people. While his actions of humility and simplicity raised many eyebrows in the establishment, he became all the more endearing to the world. Asking for a blessing from the crowds at his first appearance as pope, refusing to live in the luxurious penthouse of the papal apartments and choosing the modest two-room suite in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse, carrying his own luggage and paying his own hotel bills, washing the feet of women and even non catholic prisoners, driving a modest, 20-year-old white Renault, wearing the black leather shoes instead of the traditional red papal footwear, … the list goes on, a list that made him very unique in the history of the papacy.

But his teachings and writings have promoted a spirituality that is easy for even the very ordinary folks to understand and relate to. All of us can learn a lot from Pope Francis to be simple and humble. We too can spread the joy of the gospel as he did so warm-heartedly. May he rest in peace.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal