Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, gave a 16-minute homily on Sunday, Jan. 24. Father Illo welcomed those who marched in the Walk for Life the day before. He said he wanted to cite three priests – one German, Father Joseph Ratzinger, who wrote in 1969 on the future smaller Church “of faith”; one Mexican, Archbishop Jose Gomez (“we have prayed that our bishops would be bold and clear, and this statement [after the Biden inauguration] of a naturally patient, cautious, and timid archbishop is an answer to our prayers”); our third witness, answering Nancy Pelosi, who attacked pro-life Catholics, an American, our own archbishop, Salvatore Cordileone (“the right to choose is a smokescreen… our land is soaked with the blood of the innocent.”)
Father Illo concluded with the story of a young man he interviewed from the Philippines who works for Google in downtown San Francisco who wants to enter the seminary. Father Illo told him he would be entering a Church that is enfeebled, whose leaders are in disarray, whose laity have largely abandoned the sacraments.
The young man’s answer:
“You will serve in a parish whose pews will remain mostly empty. If you proclaim the Gospel you will be attacked by your own parishioners. He told me, ‘I know, but I want to follow Christ.’ ” Go to the 16 minute 22 second marker of the video:
“You will serve in a parish whose pews will remain mostly empty. If you proclaim the Gospel you will be attacked by your own parishioners. He told me, ‘I know, but I want to follow Christ.’ ” Well did the apostle Paul warn Timothy throughout II Timothy but especially II Tim 3:12– “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” How sad that it should come from the one place you might least expect it: from the pews, backed up in some instances by the chanceries. Priesthood is difficult enough without having to endure contrariness from those who have accumulated for themselves teachers according to their own desires, II Tim. 4:3. I know quoting scripture is not often done here but the entire book of II Timothy seems so utterly pertinent here.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers
and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.
II Timothy 4:1-5
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5: 11-12
After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
Acts 5:40-41
Thank you all. I appreciate the message shared and the beautiful comments to the article. It’s hard to find faith on display today. I pray that I am faithful to Christ to bring in the harvest and not be useless.
Michael, if you have access to the Holy Sacrament, I have heard that a daily holy hour is important for maintaining your personal relationship with Jesus and for staying faithful.
Saying and doing what one ought to say and do doesn’t strike me as bold.
Interesting that Illo refers to Gomez as “a Mexican.”