NOT MY JOB

I was stationed at St. Cecilia Parish in Fox Chase when one Sunday morning the sacristan, Tom, asked me to get groceries for an older parishioner who was home bound. I didn't know what to say. This was already one of the busiest parishes in the diocese for sick calls plus a large school of over a thousand students. Then I thought of this week's gospel. After rising early and praying alone, the apostles find Jesus and tell him how people with many needs are looking for him. His answer is simply that he must move on to other towns. Jesus says: "for that is what I came to do." In other words that is his job and not staying in one place and waiting for the lame, blind, and sick to find him.

Does that not make you think about why Jesus said this? More important than healing the blind and the lame, etc. is prayer, preaching and driving out demons. How many people expect me to spend more time in prayer, more time preaching or more time hearing confession? No one I can think of expects me to give more this way. Yet that is what Jesus said he came to do. In other words there is a sickness that is worse than bodily illness. We call it a state of sin. There is lameness that is worse than being crippled or paralyzed. We call it slothe. There is a blindness that is darker than losing eye sight. We call it ignorance of Jesus Christ. I also told Tom the sacristan that when the apostles were overwhelmed with the work of waiting on tables they created deacons. this is written in the Acts of the Apostles.

When we look at the work that Jesus spent his time doing we realize that the priest has a very busy job ahead of him. So I tell people that as long as Satan is alive and well, I will never be out of a job.

Saint Joseph foster our love for Jesus,

Father Sodano

Rev. Thomas M. Sodano

C O N T A C T U S

Phone: (610) 583-4530
Email: stjoe.col@rcn.com (secretary)

500 Woodlawn Avenue
Collingdale, PA 19023

We are pleased to serve those living in Collingdale, Aldan, parts of Upper Darby, and parts of Darby. Our parish is located within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Episcopal Region I, Deanery 1 - Eastern Delaware County, Episcopal region 1, Pastoral Planning Area 310.

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