Spring Growth

Over ten years ago, I concluded my time as pastor of St. Christopher Catholic Church, Pontotoc, MS and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church , New Albany, MS.  For three Sundays I had the honor of returning to St. Francis of Assisi Church, New Albany to offer the Holy Week Masses and services as well as Mass the following Sunday.   What beautiful changes, what wonderful spring growth I discovered.



Inside of St. Francis of Assisi, New Albany, MS



When I was there they had just finished building a new Church.  During my six years, we needed to add more pews to the church, we paid off the debt and bought a rectory.  Also, every year we had new people joining the church.  One of them, Leonard, answered an advertisement inviting folks to come and learn about Catholics.  He and some of children began coming to classes.  Then his wife and more of his children did so. It was my honor to confirm Leonard in the Catholic church and baptize the rest of his family. Now Leonard has completed a certificate in Theology and is the Parish administrador of the parish.  To see him and his children and now grandchildren members of the Church is a thrill.  What God will do with His Love is fantastic.





Friends outside after Spanish Mass

 Another thing during my days there was the beginning of Mass for the Spanish.  In the beginning, Fr. Francois, another Glenmary priest, would offer the Mass once a month in Spanish since I did not speak it at the time.  We had about twenty people at the first Mass.  Then later I attended classes in Mexico and upon return started offering the Mass in Spanish every week.  When I left we were averaging hundred people attending the Spanish Mass with about 250 attending within a month time.  (The difference of numbers is because not all those who came attended every Sunday.)  Today, they have a Spanish choir of about twenty people and the church is standing room only at every Spanish Mass. Even daily Mass is bilingual because of the numbers of both cultures coming.  The Blessing of the Lord continues to spring forth.

Another major missionary endeavor during my time was assisting St. Matthew Catholic Church in Ripley begin.  Ten years ago there was no church.  Slowly we went from having Mass in the bank, to renting a spare room to renting a store front.  Today they have a very beautiful church.  For the bilingual services on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday we could barely fit everyone in.  The majority of worshippers are Spanish speaking, but the english Mass is also growing. (I should have taken a picture, but I forgot!)

 These are but a few examples of Spring Growth or positive change.  It is also great to see the young people now grown, the children now teenagers, and the parents now grandparents.  It is wonderful that I only knew about half the community since the growth of parishioners is terrific. 





From teenagers in my days to a married couple today.



Yet, there is so much more than this.  There are prayer services, community activities, new leadership and new witness to the boarder community.  Most importantly, their are strong followers of Jesus, with a deep faith, a clear witness to the joy of being Catholic. This is what gives life to a missioner.  We plant the seed and another harvests.



It is our hope to see the Catholic Community and the Reign of God emerge, spring forth new life and become a flowering garden of God's love in every corner of the United States.  What a joy to return and see what the Lord is doing in this small corner of rural Mississippi.

Flexibility or Freeze

Yesterday, I was ready to continue investigating some mission territory in Tennessee where Glenmary might continue its long tradition of volunteer service.  The plans were made.  Appointments set.  Then came the rain.  Not just a little ran, but days of rain.  The Glenmary Volunteer Director, Joe, who was to travel with me, was unable to leave the volunteer site in Vanceburg, KY because the roads were flooded.  Plans cancelled, appointmens cancelled, new plans to be made, some folks disappointed and so it goes.  Yet, today I am enjoying a beautiful sunny day and completed other projects I was going to do later.  God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.

How do you handle such sudden changes in your life?  How do you handled cancelled plans or disappointments? As missioners flexiblitiy is a key to happiness.  Yet, for some rapid change, sudden cancellations, can cause them to freeze or a least be frosty with others.  Yet, there is so little that we can control in life that a good sense of flexiblity is very helpful.

I remember once, when another big event with lots of planning was cancelled at the last minute. A friend of mine, said, "So why plan at all?  It never seems to work out."  My response to her is the same today as then, "Without a plan, you might not be disappointed, but you will not go anywhere either."  A plan is just a guide, a hope, a way to move forward.  Then stuff happens and the plan must adapt or fail.  If I have no plan there is nothing to adapt and even the little that I might control is lost.  With a plan, I and others might experience disappointment, but we also might experience joy.  Few plans go as hoped, but with flexiblity and adaptability, the Holy Spirit might blow it a new way and most likely even a better way.



May the breeze of God lift you up.



For instance, because I am not in Tennessee, I have found time to write my blog.  Yes, the six appointments cancelled need to be rescheduled and time and effort for the previous plan has to be repeated.  Yet, the ground work for the future remains.  Flex, bend and twist. With flexibility, life is good. I do believe in rainbows!!

Often, I think of a tree.  When a strong wind comes, the branches will blow and some might break, but if the roots are strong the tree will survive.  Yet, if it is an ice storm and the branches are frozen they will mostly break and not bend.  The tree might still survive, but with greater damage and far more stress on the system.

In our lives, so much is beyond our control.  We cannot control the climate or the power of nature.  Yet, these impact our lives.  We cannot control everything about politics and enonomics, especially on a global bases.  Nor can we control the actions or opinions of our family, neighbors and those around us.  Shoot, sometimes, we cannot even control ourselves.  Yet, with the grace of God, I can learn to bend with various forces in the world, both good and evil, and not break.  With strong roots, I can be secure and have tranquility, even in the midst of chaos and confusion. 

As a missioner, we are like a billboard for all Christians.  We are to be a quick sign along the way, that faith, values, and mercy make sense.  Any person is to be able to look at us and say, hey, that way or attitude might just work.  As one missioner, my message on the billboard is not always clear and easy to read.  Yet, the ability to flex and not freeze has helped me be at peace in many places and many situations, especially, when my plans have not been achieved. 

Floods come.  We can not stop them.  Yet, Peace flows as well.  Stay rooted in God and bend with the breeze of the Spirit and discover the fruit of happiness.

Aliens Among Us

All legal immigrants exploring a vocation to the priesthood

This morning I was reading from the book Leviticus and my conscience was stirred.  The two passages that awaken me are as follows:

"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you glean the stray ears of grain.  Likewise, you shall not pick your vineyard bare, nor gather up the grapes that have fallen.  These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien.  I, the Lord, am your God." (Lev. 19:9-10)

"When an alien reside with you in your land, do not molest him.  You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you, have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt.  I, the Lord, am your God." (Lev. 19: 33 - 34).

How do these Scriptures apply to the situation in the United States with both documented and undocumented "aliens" among us?  Forget about policy for now.  Let us focus on attitude towards the alien.  As we do so, remember that Jesus too was an alien, and most likely an undocumented alien, when his family moved to Egypt. (Read Matthew 3:13 - 23 about this.)

The Old Testament considered the reception of strangers or aliens with kindness as a moral absolute.  God says, treat them as the native born and love them as you love yourself.  That is powerful.  In the New Testament Jesus says in one of his salvation texts, "Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, ..." (Matt 25:42-43).

Therefore, we are to love all people including the documented and undocumented aliens or as some call them, "the illegal alien," with the same love that God has for them and that we are to have for one another.  This goes even further if you are Catholic and believe that because of baptism we are one family.  This means that all the baptized crossing the borders are our brothers and sisters.  Do we see them as such?

There is general agreement that our immigration policies in the United States most be reformed.  They are not just to immigrants or to citizens. There is little agreement on how to do this. Yet some, rather, than seeking the best way to help everyone involved: the immigrant, the business owner, and the ordinary citizen; operate out of prejudice or a few, even hatred.  This attitude, regardless of the policy, is unacceptable in the eyes of the Lord.  "If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.  This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 3:20-21)

Do you love the aliens among us, whether illegal or legal, documented or not documented?  If not, what steps must be taken to love them as you love God and as you love yourself? 

Please join me in praying for true and just immigration reform that is rooted in the love of all God's children, of all our brothers and sisters.  Pray for a reform that demonstrates respect and is not based in fear; one that is the best for aliens, not for ourselves.  After all, to love someone usually means that we are willing to sacrifice our needs and desires for the sake of their needs and desires.  This is what spouses do for each other and what parents do for their children.  It is what God does for us. 

Will it be what we do for others, including the aliens among us?



Legal Aliens praising God



The Ten Commandments

Micheangelos's Moses in Rome

Do you recognize any of the following commandments?

"You shall not worship any other god, for the Lord is "the Jealous One";  a jealous God is he."
"You shall not make for yourselves molten gods."
"You shall keep the feast of Unleavened Bread."
"The first-born among your sons you shall redeem."
"No one shall appear before me empty-handed."
"For six days you may work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; on that day you must rest even during the seasons of plowing and harvesting."
"You shall keep the feast of Weeks with the first of the wheat harvest; likewise, the feast at the fruit harvest at the close of the year."
"You shall not offer me the blood of sacrifice with leavened bread, nor shall the sacrifice of the Passover feast be kept overnight for the next day."
"The choicest first fruits of you soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord, your God."
"You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk."

They were not all familiar with me either until I read them this morning.  Every morning I begin my day with two of the oldest Glenmarians, Fr. Jim, 94 years old and Fr. Frank, 95 years old, praying the breviary.  This prayer is also known as the Liturgy of Hours or the Divine Office.  Fr. Frank can no longer see, so together we begin with the office of readings read out loud which is followed by Morning Prayer or Lauds. During Lent, the first reading is usually from the book of Exodus.  Today we read Chapter 34: 1ff.  Moses comes down the mountain a second time.  He already destroyed the first set of tablets when the people were worshiping the Golden Calf.  So this is the second set of tablets.  Verse 34:4 states, "Moses then cut two stone tablets like the former, and early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets.  (The movie the TEN COMMANDMENTS for all its drama is not a literal portrayal of the Bible.)

In verse 10 we read, "Here, then," said the Lord, "is the covenant I will make.  .... vs 11 "But you, on your part, must keep the commandments I am giving you today."  What you read at the start of my blog is what follows in verses 12 - 26.  I know the above list is not what I memorized as a child or youth.

Yet, if you study this list, there is a call to worship, to sacrifice and to show mercy. After all, to cook a baby goat in the milk of its nursing mother seems unkind to the nanny goat, even through the animal does not witness the action.  It is a form of mercy.  So where does the list of ten commandments that we memorize come from?  Well, it comes from another part of the Bible, Deuteronomy 5:6-21.

This list reads as follows:

"I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.  You shall not have other gods besides me."
"You shall not take the name of the Lord, you God, in vain."
"Take care to keep holy the sabbath day as the Lord, your God, commanded."
"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord, you God, has commanded you, that you may have a long life and prosperity in the land which the Lord, our God, is giving you."
"You shall not kill."


"You shall not commit adultery."

"You shall not steal."

"You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor."

"You shall not covert your neighbor's wife."

"You shall not desire your neighbor's house or field, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox, or ass, nor anything that belongs to him."



Michaengelo's Moses



Parents, priests, and others often encourage people to keep the ten commandments.  They do provide a good guide for morally living.  Yet, it is good to stop and read them directly from the Bible and not a summary list.  When I reflect on this list, it reminds me that the Old Testament is a series of books combined together. That Exodus and Deuteronomy tell the same story but in a different way.  Exodus is more a description of events whereas Deuteronomy is an entire book of how to live a faithful life to the one true God as the great teacher Moses instructed.  My warning here is to avoid biblical fundamentalism or literalism.  Also, it is important not to try an harmonize various accounts of the same story. Reading the Bible with a mind to what message God is giving you and God's people often is the most fruitful.  Biblical scholars will study and provide guidance for us in commentaries.  Yet, what is most important is to absorb the comfort and challenge of Bible in the context of its times and in the moment of life today. 

So what is the invitation of God for us in the readings of Exodus and Deuteronomy?  How do we live a life of faithfulness to God's Holy Word?  Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 ff, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.  I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.  Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place."

The fulfillment of the Law is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The coming of His Holy Spirit which lives in every baptized person enables us to keep the Law.  If I know the two great commandments of Jesus, Love God and Love your neighbor as your self, then I do not have to worry about all the laws in the Old Testament.  I do not have to sort out which law is fullfilled by the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Divine Love will never let me violate God's Law.  My sinfulness and my sinful desires may lead to violate God's law, but if rooted in Divine Love and if living in harmony with Divine Love, it will be impossible to do so.

Therefore, may we worry less about where the Ten Commandments are posted or not and worry more about them being written on our own hearts. May the sacrifice of Jesus soften our hearts so His Love may control and guide our actions.  Let us not boil a kid in it's mother's milk.

Peace in our World



From inside a small church in Assisi



What is a missioner to do when so many countries are in violent conflict?  The conflicts in Libya, Iraq, Afganistan, Syria, Yemen, and other places appear to be attempts to have democracy and human rights, yet they also result in violence.  Too many people are dying!!

I have no great insight as to what is the right political or military response.  As a missioner I turn to Jesus and His gospel and try to figure things out from there.  In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."  Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He desires peace.  Yet, in Matthew 10:34, Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.  I have come to bring not peace but the sword."  However, just before this in Matthew 10:28 he proclaims, "And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna."  Therefore, the words of Jesus indicate that peace is the aim, but that division will occur and that we should be brave and trust in Him.

Some would argue revolution, protests, and even war can lead to peace.  Yet, peace is a time of tranquility and calm.  These actions, even when they are to create a better world for the people, still leave death, destruction and despair in their tracts.

As a missioner, I take my greatest comfort in the life of Jesus himself.  I study His actions and His approach to the conflict of His nation at His time.  From there I try to conform my life to the same principles.  Imperfect that I am, I still strife for perfection as my Heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus lived in Israel which was ruled and occupied by a foreign power, the Romans.  It was a conspiracy of religious leaders manipulating Roman law that resulted in the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus.  Many countries today are trying to overthrow oppressive leaders and sometimes religious leaders are part of the oppression.  The approach of Jesus was to ministry in love, seek justice and speak the truth.  His harhes words are not towards political powers, but religious powers.  He invited everyone to call God "Abba" or "Dad" and to treat everyone as your mother, brother and sister.  Of course He assumed that we love our brothers and sisters and treat them with kindness.  (Unfortunately, that is not always the case.)

When the time of his arrest came, Peter drew a sword to defend Jesus.  Here is the response that Jesus gave:

"Put your sword back into your sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels?  But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way?" (Matthew 26:52-54)

Therefore, as we pray for the safety of our soldiers and as we pray for the  protection of the innocent, we also pray for a better way and end to violence.  War is always a violent means of change.  It can stop oppressive and aggressive leaders and countries.  Sometimes it can safe lives even as it takes the lives of others.  Yet, war can not bring lasting peace.  There is always a winner and a loser in war.  The loser remembers the loss and loss of loved ones.  They often wait for revenge.  For peace to emerge, their needs to be reconciliation after war otherwise you might replace one oppressive form of government with another or one bad dictator with an equally bad or worse dictator.  Then you just repeat Yugaslavia which was thought to be a peaceful nation after WWII, but is divided into many nations after much blood was shed.

The only true way to peace is for nations to see their neighbors as friends and not enemies.  Within countries it is for citizens to love and respect each other.  At the core, it is the respect for the dignity of life and the value of each person that will lead to peace.  Regardless of religion, it is necessary to recognize that we are all created by the same God in the likeness of that God.  As Christians this is so very clear in the Bible, especially in the New Testament.

So for me, the way to peace in the political realm is hard to know, but in the Reign of God it is clear.  Each of us first most commit ourselves to living in peace with our family and neighbors.  We need to forgive and seek reconciliation when we have harmed others or others have harmed us.  We must let God bring Justice and not seek revenge.  If each individual takes responsibility for this, then you create a nation that honors it citizens and respects the dignity of life of all.  Only unconditional Love can transform the world.

I realize some may see this as an ideal, but I see it as the REAL.  The is really what God wants of us and it is really what we are capable of becoming.  Jesus words over and over again after the resurrection is "Peace be with You".  May it be so!!!

A new blog

My sabbatical is over, but my missionary life continues.  For now, I am assigned to the National Headquarters of my missionary community, the Home Missioners of America, or better known as the Glenmary Home Missioners in Cincinnati, OH. My responsibilities are to manage a few special projects.  In June we will have elections through a discernment process and receive new leadership. So spare a prayer for us, if you will.  After that time, I will be given a new assignment.  Yet, whether my assignment is in the mission field of rural U.S.A. or in some support ministry like I just finished in the vocation office, I remain a missioner.

Being a missioner in the United States has become my primary identity.  I am thrilled and feel blessed to be of the Pawelk clan.  We are made of good German stock and have a very solid Christian foundation.  I am proud of coming from Maple Lake, MN and being raised on a farm.  This identity created the ability to add a new layer.

Likewise, being a priest in the Roman Catholic Church is an incredible experience.  For close to 22 years I have shared in the many special sacramental moments in people's lives all over the globe.  Baptisms, marriages and funerals all bring me deeper into the life's of others, but more importantly they bring Christ's awesome love and the gift of the Holy Spirit deeper into folk's lives.  The highlight of any day and every Sunday is to preside or offer the Mass, the Holy Eucharist.  If you are not a Catholic you are missing a huge blessing. To have Christ really present and to have all spiritual thirst and hunger satisfied by recieving Christ into our very being through His Body and Blood at Mass is just plainly awesome!!  I am so humbled to represent the community in this great prayer and to mediate God's love in the sacramental celebrations of the Church.  No one is worthy of such a blessing, but I accept the responsibility with every once of love and joy  possible. Yet, this is not the core of my identity.

See the deepest core of my Christian identity, as a disciple of Christ, as a human being,  is that of being a MISSIONER.  For whatever reason God has called me and given me a passion to spread the Word of God and offer the gift of membership in the Catholic Church to those living in rural areas of United States of America.  It is an honor and privilege.  Yet, many people do not stop and reflect on the missionary needs here in the United States.  Many are unaware of the number of people who have not yet been baptized or who have drifted far from God and his love.  It is my hope through this humble blog to raise that awareness.

In raising this awareness, I recognize that I am but one small missionary priest in the huge ocean of missioners in the world.  My little drop of life in union with others is terrific, yet, it is but a drop.  Furthermore, I am but one Glenmarian.  Therefore, this blog does not represent the missionary thoughts of all Glenmarians nor does it represent an offical position of the society.  It is just my own little musings over the missionary needs in our world today.  Hopefully, these musings are faithful to the Gospel and consistent with all the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.  If I ever write something that is not, I hope to hear from you.  I hope too, that this blog is helpful to all Christians and people of other faiths and even for folks who do not have faith.  Maybe my musings will inspire musings of your own.

So, check out Fr. Steve's Missionary Musings ever so often.  My this lead us to greater hope, greater action and a world of greater love, justice and peace.