From Father Tim's Desk
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19: 20-21
October 2, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
I am writing this column well before the arrival of Hurricane Ian, and you are reading this after the fact. The forecast track has that it will pass to our west, so hopefully it stays away from our coast and everyone is safe. This, of course, is part of the risk that we take living by the Gulf in Florida. But weather related risks are pretty much anywhere around the country, from tornados in the Midwest to wildfires out West, to floods up North and severe droughts in the South. When I did my seminary missionary experience in Alaska, an Athabaskan native person was amazed when she heard that I lived in Florida. She thought it would be too risky to live in Florida, not because of the hurricanes but because of the alligators. “How can you live there with all those alligators?” she asked. And I responded, “The same way you can live here with these bears.” They have all that snow and cold too. To each his (her) own.
An interesting thing about hurricanes is that in its eye, or center, is an area of calm. Depending on the size and strength, the eye of a hurricane can be anywhere from 20 to 40 miles in diameter, some even reported to having blue sky and sunshine. That is a good analogy for the saints and the spiritual life. This past week had a host of feast days for saints who struggled with much in this life but always remained calm at their center. Like the eye of a hurricane, the chaotic and harsh winds of life could not penetrate that calm and peace in their soul. May our prayer be like the apostles who asked the Lord in this Sunday’s Gospel, “Increase our faith.” Even faith the size of a mustard seed gave the saints a spiritual strength that helped them through life’s many challenges.
Peace.
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
I am writing this column well before the arrival of Hurricane Ian, and you are reading this after the fact. The forecast track has that it will pass to our west, so hopefully it stays away from our coast and everyone is safe. This, of course, is part of the risk that we take living by the Gulf in Florida. But weather related risks are pretty much anywhere around the country, from tornados in the Midwest to wildfires out West, to floods up North and severe droughts in the South. When I did my seminary missionary experience in Alaska, an Athabaskan native person was amazed when she heard that I lived in Florida. She thought it would be too risky to live in Florida, not because of the hurricanes but because of the alligators. “How can you live there with all those alligators?” she asked. And I responded, “The same way you can live here with these bears.” They have all that snow and cold too. To each his (her) own.
An interesting thing about hurricanes is that in its eye, or center, is an area of calm. Depending on the size and strength, the eye of a hurricane can be anywhere from 20 to 40 miles in diameter, some even reported to having blue sky and sunshine. That is a good analogy for the saints and the spiritual life. This past week had a host of feast days for saints who struggled with much in this life but always remained calm at their center. Like the eye of a hurricane, the chaotic and harsh winds of life could not penetrate that calm and peace in their soul. May our prayer be like the apostles who asked the Lord in this Sunday’s Gospel, “Increase our faith.” Even faith the size of a mustard seed gave the saints a spiritual strength that helped them through life’s many challenges.
Peace.
Father Tim
September 25, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
I must admit that sometimes I don’t know what to write about for this column. It is not easy to think of something every week. But now and then, incidents from daily life come along to spark my creative juices. They don’t have to be unusual or out of the ordinary. In fact, it works better when readers can relate to them from their own experience. Take, for example, the three-way stop light at Island Way and Clearwater Memorial Causeway. We have all been there, driven through, and waited for the light the change. Additionally, I have walked across the road to walk on the trail more times than I can count. Recently, while taking a walk, I watched yet another situation where one poor soul apparently did not step on the gas pedal quickly enough when the light turned green. And the person in the vehicle from behind was honking and yelling and making quite a spectacle. However, it appeared that the person in front was hard of hearing, so that only made the person in back even more frustrated. Everyone at the stop light was staring at that “human volcano,” except for the placid driver in front of Mr. Mount Vesuvius. That part was sort of funny actually.
I’m reminded of an insight from Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said that wars and conflicts in the world are only projections of the conflicts waged inside the souls of men and women. In other words, nothing happens in the external world that does not first happen within a soul. If my soul is “boiling,” like red hot lava, then I am likely going to give that driver in front of me “a piece of my mind.” That, in turn, could cause a chain reaction of negative events that profoundly impact the world. However, an opposite scenario is also possible. If my soul is as still as placid waters, then I am likely going to give another person “the peace of my mind.” And that, in turn, could create a positive change reaction by initiating profound acts of peace in the world. But as Sheen alluded, peace must be in our souls first before it can be shared with the world. The good news about attaining stillness of soul and inner peace is that it requires no secret or special knowledge, only a special relationship. Just spend quiet time every day with the Prince of Peace. The grace from silence alone will do wonders for a person’s soul. As Cardinal Robert Sarah once wrote: “Silence and peace have one and the same heartbeat.”
Peace.
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
I must admit that sometimes I don’t know what to write about for this column. It is not easy to think of something every week. But now and then, incidents from daily life come along to spark my creative juices. They don’t have to be unusual or out of the ordinary. In fact, it works better when readers can relate to them from their own experience. Take, for example, the three-way stop light at Island Way and Clearwater Memorial Causeway. We have all been there, driven through, and waited for the light the change. Additionally, I have walked across the road to walk on the trail more times than I can count. Recently, while taking a walk, I watched yet another situation where one poor soul apparently did not step on the gas pedal quickly enough when the light turned green. And the person in the vehicle from behind was honking and yelling and making quite a spectacle. However, it appeared that the person in front was hard of hearing, so that only made the person in back even more frustrated. Everyone at the stop light was staring at that “human volcano,” except for the placid driver in front of Mr. Mount Vesuvius. That part was sort of funny actually.
I’m reminded of an insight from Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said that wars and conflicts in the world are only projections of the conflicts waged inside the souls of men and women. In other words, nothing happens in the external world that does not first happen within a soul. If my soul is “boiling,” like red hot lava, then I am likely going to give that driver in front of me “a piece of my mind.” That, in turn, could cause a chain reaction of negative events that profoundly impact the world. However, an opposite scenario is also possible. If my soul is as still as placid waters, then I am likely going to give another person “the peace of my mind.” And that, in turn, could create a positive change reaction by initiating profound acts of peace in the world. But as Sheen alluded, peace must be in our souls first before it can be shared with the world. The good news about attaining stillness of soul and inner peace is that it requires no secret or special knowledge, only a special relationship. Just spend quiet time every day with the Prince of Peace. The grace from silence alone will do wonders for a person’s soul. As Cardinal Robert Sarah once wrote: “Silence and peace have one and the same heartbeat.”
Peace.
Father Tim
September 18, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
I received a nice thank you card from Father Joseph Chacko, the missionary priest who visited our parish on September 3-4 for this year’s Missionary Cooperative Appeal. He wrote the following message: “Thank you so much for your warm welcome and the hospitality you offered me. It was a lovely experience I had there with St. Brendan’s community . . . Please accept my gratitude, and my bishop’s as well. I assure you of my prayers.” I too want to sincerely thank you for your hospitality and generosity to Father Chacko’s missionary appeal. We will total what was collected and send it to the diocese for proper distribution. A total amount for the appeal should be posted in the bulletin either this week or next.
Speaking of the Church’s mission, it is stated in The Code of Cannon Lawthat the Christian faithful are “called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one.” (Canon 204) In other words, with privilege comes responsibility. We the baptized have to do our part, as members of the Body of Christ, to join in the mission and apostolic work of the Church according to our respective positions and personal capabilities. It is interesting that the largest section of the Code is focused on the People of God, and the very last canon testifies that the supreme law and primary mission of the Church is the salvation of souls (Canon 1752). I’m no canon lawyer, but I once saw a simple motto on a parish sign that summarized best this canonical understanding: “It’s not the building; it’s the people!” May we all be contributors to the Church’s mission.
Peace.
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
I received a nice thank you card from Father Joseph Chacko, the missionary priest who visited our parish on September 3-4 for this year’s Missionary Cooperative Appeal. He wrote the following message: “Thank you so much for your warm welcome and the hospitality you offered me. It was a lovely experience I had there with St. Brendan’s community . . . Please accept my gratitude, and my bishop’s as well. I assure you of my prayers.” I too want to sincerely thank you for your hospitality and generosity to Father Chacko’s missionary appeal. We will total what was collected and send it to the diocese for proper distribution. A total amount for the appeal should be posted in the bulletin either this week or next.
Speaking of the Church’s mission, it is stated in The Code of Cannon Lawthat the Christian faithful are “called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one.” (Canon 204) In other words, with privilege comes responsibility. We the baptized have to do our part, as members of the Body of Christ, to join in the mission and apostolic work of the Church according to our respective positions and personal capabilities. It is interesting that the largest section of the Code is focused on the People of God, and the very last canon testifies that the supreme law and primary mission of the Church is the salvation of souls (Canon 1752). I’m no canon lawyer, but I once saw a simple motto on a parish sign that summarized best this canonical understanding: “It’s not the building; it’s the people!” May we all be contributors to the Church’s mission.
Peace.
Father Tim
September 11, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
This Sunday is September 11th. The date “9/11” will forever be associated with the terrible events that took place 21 years ago when the Twin Towers fell, as well as what happened at the Pentagon and on United Flight 93. But how we have chosen to remember that fateful day over the years is quite telling and heartening. No doubt the terrorists wanted to tear down the hope of Americans by destroying three of the most recognizable buildings of American capitalism, military strength, and democracy. However, their mission failed as reflected in the many stories and images that we Americans continue to recall and share years later, not so much about collapsing buildings and twisted steel, but rather inspiring examples of courage, selflessness, and love. Stories of firefighters climbing upstairs as others were going down. Images of people working around the clock in the hopes of finding someone still alive in the rubble. A cell phone call from an airline passenger who said “Let’s roll” before he and other passengers sacrificed themselves to rush hijackers and prevent the intended attack of the U.S. Capital. And, of course, the many other stories that have been told of the simple love shown by one another in the midst of tragedy.
We refer to 9/11 as the National Day of Service and Remembrance. That speaks to how we as a Nation have chosen to honor this day. Yes, it was a horrendous day, where acts of inhuman atrocity were committed. But we have chosen to counter it with acts of service, and to remember it as one of those “times that try men’s souls,” as Thomas Paine once said. Men and women both were tried, and they were found worthy.
Peace.
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
This Sunday is September 11th. The date “9/11” will forever be associated with the terrible events that took place 21 years ago when the Twin Towers fell, as well as what happened at the Pentagon and on United Flight 93. But how we have chosen to remember that fateful day over the years is quite telling and heartening. No doubt the terrorists wanted to tear down the hope of Americans by destroying three of the most recognizable buildings of American capitalism, military strength, and democracy. However, their mission failed as reflected in the many stories and images that we Americans continue to recall and share years later, not so much about collapsing buildings and twisted steel, but rather inspiring examples of courage, selflessness, and love. Stories of firefighters climbing upstairs as others were going down. Images of people working around the clock in the hopes of finding someone still alive in the rubble. A cell phone call from an airline passenger who said “Let’s roll” before he and other passengers sacrificed themselves to rush hijackers and prevent the intended attack of the U.S. Capital. And, of course, the many other stories that have been told of the simple love shown by one another in the midst of tragedy.
We refer to 9/11 as the National Day of Service and Remembrance. That speaks to how we as a Nation have chosen to honor this day. Yes, it was a horrendous day, where acts of inhuman atrocity were committed. But we have chosen to counter it with acts of service, and to remember it as one of those “times that try men’s souls,” as Thomas Paine once said. Men and women both were tried, and they were found worthy.
Peace.
Father Tim
September 4, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend is our annual Missionary Cooperative Appeal. This year we have Father Joseph Chacko speaking to us about his mission diocese of Bhadravathi in India. Information about Father Chacko and his diocese has been in the bulletin for the last couple of weeks. We are happy to have him with us and we look forward to hearing about the important ministerial work of his diocese. Special envelopes are available at the church entrances. Please make your check payable to St. Brendan Catholic Church. If you did not get an envelope, be sure to write “Missionary Co-op Appeal” in the note section of the check so that we know it is for the Appeal. We will wait a couple of weeks to ensure that the Appeal is fully collected before sending it to the diocese. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
This is also the Labor Day Holiday Weekend. For some, that means a three-day holiday with Monday off. A celebration of labor with no labor. Yay! But for others, it’s just another typical Monday. No day off and likely more work than usual. Phooey! Both of these examples reflect familiar realities and feelings about work. Is work a professional career or merely a job to pay the bills? Perhaps it lies somewhere in-between for you. Someone once told me that he worked so that he could do the things he really wanted to do. I suppose there are many philosophies about work, and it can be confusing sometimes. So how then do we bridge the gap that affirms work on one side and utterly distains or just tolerates work on the other side? I don’t have any all-knowing answer (that’s God’s department), but I am reminded that work is a creative act that reflects the nature of God. The Bible begins with God working for six days. And that work made something out of nothing, something extraordinarily beautiful—including you and me. Therefore, our work, our creative acts, no matter how big or small, reflect our connection with God and to each other, and such acts have the potential of making this world a better and more beautiful place. That gives a whole new meaning to the four-letter word w-o-r-k.
Happy Labor Day!
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend is our annual Missionary Cooperative Appeal. This year we have Father Joseph Chacko speaking to us about his mission diocese of Bhadravathi in India. Information about Father Chacko and his diocese has been in the bulletin for the last couple of weeks. We are happy to have him with us and we look forward to hearing about the important ministerial work of his diocese. Special envelopes are available at the church entrances. Please make your check payable to St. Brendan Catholic Church. If you did not get an envelope, be sure to write “Missionary Co-op Appeal” in the note section of the check so that we know it is for the Appeal. We will wait a couple of weeks to ensure that the Appeal is fully collected before sending it to the diocese. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
This is also the Labor Day Holiday Weekend. For some, that means a three-day holiday with Monday off. A celebration of labor with no labor. Yay! But for others, it’s just another typical Monday. No day off and likely more work than usual. Phooey! Both of these examples reflect familiar realities and feelings about work. Is work a professional career or merely a job to pay the bills? Perhaps it lies somewhere in-between for you. Someone once told me that he worked so that he could do the things he really wanted to do. I suppose there are many philosophies about work, and it can be confusing sometimes. So how then do we bridge the gap that affirms work on one side and utterly distains or just tolerates work on the other side? I don’t have any all-knowing answer (that’s God’s department), but I am reminded that work is a creative act that reflects the nature of God. The Bible begins with God working for six days. And that work made something out of nothing, something extraordinarily beautiful—including you and me. Therefore, our work, our creative acts, no matter how big or small, reflect our connection with God and to each other, and such acts have the potential of making this world a better and more beautiful place. That gives a whole new meaning to the four-letter word w-o-r-k.
Happy Labor Day!
Father Tim
August 28, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news of the passing of our parish office manager, Terri Gerstner. She had been struggling with health issues for the last couple of months, but her condition quickly turned worse this past week and she died on Sunday night, August 21st. I’m sure many of you knew Terri as she was a very familiar face among our staff for 11 years at St. Brendan’s. She was the point-person who basically kept everything running smoothly in the parish. A position like that is difficult to replace, but Terri—the person—will be irreplaceable. I do not have any information yet on her funeral at the time of this writing. We will keep you posted with future announcements if you are interested in attending. In the meantime, let us pray for the repose of the soul of our dear sister, Terri, and the consolation of her family during this difficult time. May Terri’s soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
Peace.
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news of the passing of our parish office manager, Terri Gerstner. She had been struggling with health issues for the last couple of months, but her condition quickly turned worse this past week and she died on Sunday night, August 21st. I’m sure many of you knew Terri as she was a very familiar face among our staff for 11 years at St. Brendan’s. She was the point-person who basically kept everything running smoothly in the parish. A position like that is difficult to replace, but Terri—the person—will be irreplaceable. I do not have any information yet on her funeral at the time of this writing. We will keep you posted with future announcements if you are interested in attending. In the meantime, let us pray for the repose of the soul of our dear sister, Terri, and the consolation of her family during this difficult time. May Terri’s soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
Peace.
Father Tim
August 21, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
I have had trouble with some uninvited guests lately in the rectory—cockroaches! We do have an exterminator service that comes once a month, but this summer those creepy critters have been showing up more frequently and in more places. That has motivated me, of course, to do more cleaning, but it also got me to do some reading about my worthy adversaries. Did you know a cockroach can live up to a week without its head? Wow! I know a few people who don’t use their heads, but even they would not last long without it on their shoulders. Those tough little bugs can also live up to three months without food and a month without water. If they can live without their head, it would seem that living without food and water for a stretch would be no big deal. I’ve got an uphill challenge ahead of me.
I wish I could do what St. Bernard of Clairvaux did when he had insect problems. Saturday, August 20th, is St. Bernard’s feast day and he was a great Cistercian abbot, reformer, and doctor of the Church from the 12thcentury. It is written that while St. Bernard was opening a new abbey in Foigny, France he and his fellow monks were attacked by a swarm of flies. They were unable to swat them all away, so St. Bernard solemnly told the flies: “I hereby excommunicate you!” The next day every single fly was found dead on the floor. Too bad I can’t do that with those pesky cockroaches.
One final thing I learned about cockroaches is that they are mainly nocturnal and will run away from light. It reminded me of the great teaching from our Lord who referred to Himself as “The Light,” and stated that “everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:20-21). Perhaps the cockroach can teach us an important spiritual lesson after all.
Peace.
Father Tim
Dear Parishioners,
I have had trouble with some uninvited guests lately in the rectory—cockroaches! We do have an exterminator service that comes once a month, but this summer those creepy critters have been showing up more frequently and in more places. That has motivated me, of course, to do more cleaning, but it also got me to do some reading about my worthy adversaries. Did you know a cockroach can live up to a week without its head? Wow! I know a few people who don’t use their heads, but even they would not last long without it on their shoulders. Those tough little bugs can also live up to three months without food and a month without water. If they can live without their head, it would seem that living without food and water for a stretch would be no big deal. I’ve got an uphill challenge ahead of me.
I wish I could do what St. Bernard of Clairvaux did when he had insect problems. Saturday, August 20th, is St. Bernard’s feast day and he was a great Cistercian abbot, reformer, and doctor of the Church from the 12thcentury. It is written that while St. Bernard was opening a new abbey in Foigny, France he and his fellow monks were attacked by a swarm of flies. They were unable to swat them all away, so St. Bernard solemnly told the flies: “I hereby excommunicate you!” The next day every single fly was found dead on the floor. Too bad I can’t do that with those pesky cockroaches.
One final thing I learned about cockroaches is that they are mainly nocturnal and will run away from light. It reminded me of the great teaching from our Lord who referred to Himself as “The Light,” and stated that “everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:20-21). Perhaps the cockroach can teach us an important spiritual lesson after all.
Peace.
Father Tim