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Convention 2005 Priest Day Mass Homily:
In God We Trust - The Holy Trinity

Bishop Jack Kaising

We have come to the end and we have come to the beginning. We have come to the end of Priest day and are approaching the beginning of our convention, how exciting is that. It is a real thrill for me as the new Episcopal Moderator of WWME to add my welcome to Section 4, my home section and host for this day and the convention. I am proud to be among such a great group of priests and lay folks committed to the mission and vision of WWME.

I think a story is in order here to set the mood for these reflections: "Back in the days of sailing ships an inexperienced Seaman was sent aloft in a storm to repair a torn sail.

His body lashed by the raging wind, the young man climbed aloft quickly and did the job. As he started down again, he happened to look below him at the angry sea and rolling deck.

‘I am falling’, he shouted as his grip weakened.

An experienced seaman down below shouted: ‘Don't look down, boy. Look up!’

The boy forced himself to look up. Reassured, he climbed down to safety.”

What a simple command, “Don't look down, boy. Look up!”

This is precisely what we have been challenged to do today, look up to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for strength and reassurance as we continue on our priestly journey.

In the Gospel today Jesus tells us "Behold I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves...do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

We have been sitting here today, listening, writing, and sharing in a pretty safe environment; the hallowed halls of the student union of Towson State, surrounded by friends who love us and support us. This evening we will join hundreds of others folks like us in the Towson Center to sing, pray, share and rejoice in the gifts we have received in our Sacrament of Holy Orders and in the Sacrament of Matrimony of those who love and support us.

As in the story I just told the message of our day today has been to look up - look up to the Father, look up to the Son and look up to the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel tells us that we are going to be sent like sheep into the midst of wolves. That can be a pretty scary thought if we are not prepared for the journey. Each of us can tell stories of the wolves we have met in our priestly journey. Some of those stories are funny, but most are scary. Each is a real story in our struggle to live out our vocation as an "Alter Christus."

How have we survived in "midst of wolves?" By being in relationship with Trinity of Beings in God.

We know that the Father created us in Love.

We know that the Father always is open to welcome us.

We know that we are richer when we are in relationship with him.

This ability to survive in the "midst of wolves" is strengthened by our being close to God the Son, Jesus Christ.

We know that the close relationship He has with the Father is reflected in his relationship with us.

We know that through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we share in his healing ministry in this area where the wolves are doing their thing, Jesus will help us minister and heal and forgive and love.

As the Gospel says that when we speak in the midst of wolves it is the "Spirit of the Father speaking through you."

We know that the Spirit is the source of dynamic love between the Father and the Son and thus between us and the Father and the Son.

We know that the Spirit empowers us to risk, to love and to experience God through our relationships. We say on the Weekend that God is reflected to us in the relationship between husband and wife and by extension by the relationship of priests and couples who might be blessed to be in a loving and strong ecclesial relationship.

We have heard today about relationships between the persons of the Trinity and relationships between us and those Trinity of Persons. Tonight and tomorrow we will hear more about our Trust in God. Trust in God to help us in the mission we profess in our ministry of WWME.

I live in Curley Hall at CUA. Each evening a group of us, all priests, meet to "celebrate vespers" with each other. The other evening I mentioned that I was involved with Marriage Encounter. Someone asked me when I got involved - I said in 1978 and have been involved ever since - they asked me, why?

My smart answer was because I don't know how to say no when another "gift" is offered to me. As I said, that was my "smart" answer. My real answer as to why I have stayed involved with you guys this long in the various ways that I have is purely and simply you. You clergy and lay alike have empowered and strengthened me to be the priest, and now Bishop, that I am. You continually call me, you continually challenge me, you continue to give me strength to carry on in the "midst of the wolves!"

I am and will be forever grateful to you clergy and laity alike who have been so good to me and have taught me what relationship is all about.

In the words that one soldier can give to another "Well done", yes "Well done, good and faithful servants of the Lord"

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