A Simple Parish Priest

Fr Paul Bresnahan preached the following sermon in observance of the 50th anniversary of his ordination. 

A Simple Parish Priest

That’s all I ever wanted to be. 

We called her “Ma”. After supper before bedtime, Bob and I would sit in her bedroom which was right off the kitchen. We’d listen to old time radio with her; Jack Benny, Fibber McGhee and Molly, George Burns and Gracie Allen and the like. She’d laugh from her toenails. She was so much fun to be with. She loved us. 

As her stories wound down, she’s take out her old, dog eared, binding busted Bible and read one of her favorite stories like the Call of Samuel which I read just a few moments ago. 

The story caught my attention. “The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” That sure sounded like current events to me. Nobody ever said thing one about God in Somerville except Ma. Every night she told us about God from that sacred and holy book. These were the stories I loved. She told them by heart. 

She closed over the book, looked at me, her eyes sparkling with the twinkle of heaven; “Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; go lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. 

The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for did you call me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; go lie down again.’ 

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

To me this was like the Silence I cried myself asleep to every night after my father died. I wondered about my dad and whether I’d ever see him again. And this story seemed to suggest that God could call to my heart in the night season. It was as though the Silence I poured my heart out to night after night was not Empty Space. The Silence I spoke to at night was nothing less than God.

So I asked my grandmother;

“Ma, does this mean that God can call children to serve the church even now?”

My grandmother’s eyes danced with the joy of heaven and she said; “I wonder!” 

And that’s how it happened. The long journey to priesthood began. I was nine years old at the time. There was high school, college, and seminary. Then ordination and now all of a sudden, here I am 50 years later. 

This is all I ever wanted out of life: to love God and to love God’s people. And that’s what I did. That’s what I do.

Along the way, God kept insisting. “Oh, by the way. No there will be no exceptions.”

Outside every one of our churches there is a sign that says “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.”

Does that really mean Everyone?

It so happened that while I was in Seminary there was a Civil Rights movement. God said; no exceptions. Black or white you are all one. At seminary there were also women and gay folks. And there were controversies about where all that fit into God’s salvation plan. Again the bottom line was; no exceptions. 

During every one of my fifty years I have worked for Civil Rights. Human Rights. No exceptions.

I remember my uncle speaking to me in that blue collar Boston way of his, dripping with sarcasm. He was not fond of the church’s tendency to play exclusion games against gays, Muslims, or Hindus and the like. He’d often say to me; 

“What makes you people think you’re right and the rest of the world is going to hell?” History showed that the church often played exclusion games. My uncle was gay and at that time gay folks were not welcome to ordination or anywhere else for that matter. Neither were women. All this irritated Al. This was all 50 years ago.

 All I had was an amorphous hope that God’s love extended to all without regard to all human categories of race, ethnicity, economic status or gender. 

One day my uncle said to me; “I don’t give a good blankety blank what your church thinks, I want to know what you think of me.”

“Geez All, you’re fine in my book.”

“If that’s the case kid, I want you to stand up for me in that blankety-blank church of yours someday.” 

I did that. 

Al, I hope you see that now. I did. I stood up for you.

I also stood up for the poor and the homeless. 

Jesus said “feed my sheep”.

I’ve always taken part literally. Whether it was a soup kitchen or a food pantry or both. I’ve always seen to it that we fed the poor.

And because we did that, we always saw the homeless. Particularly during my time in West Virginia, I became involved in an effort to build a homeless shelter. 

One of the two times during my ministry that I received death threats was because of my obedience to Jesus to tend to the poor. During the struggle to build a homeless shelter in West Virginia Cindy received a phone call one time from someone who said; “We’re going to kill your husband.”

In her best Boston accent she said; “Oh yeah, take a numbah. I want to kill him too sometimes.”

Is it any wonder that the harvest remains great and the laborers are few?

Discipleship can cost you. 

Nevertheless, I love it. Every minute of it. This is God’s work we do my friends. And God’s work deserves to be done well.

50 years ago I was given a number of tokens representing this ministry we share. Now I seek to present them to some special people in my life. 

When you come up to Communion please leave these gifts for ministry before God on this table from which I present them to you. 

Bob & Jim — this is Ma’s Bible — Let’s continue to tell our stories and God’s Story so that many may be drawn to the knowledge and love of God.

Cindy & David — this Celtic Cross comes from our Pilgrimage to Ireland. Thank you for helping to carry this cross throughout our family life.

Lynette & Daryl  — Stole — This stole is a sign of our priesthood. Jesus said “my yoke is easy, my burden light”. May he sustain us in every joy and every sorrow of our life especially when our burdens become too much for us to bear alone. 

Patty & Bruce — Book of Common Prayer — you know me to be a man of prayer. May we continue faithful in prayer in season and out of season. How precious our times of prayer with this book. 

Bruce & Betty — Bread & Wine — Jesus said; “Feed my sheep”. You have done that all your life for the church and her people. May this Bread and Wine sustain us unto our life’s end.

Deb & Diane — Water  — We are all Baptized one in Christ Jesus our Lord; Behold the Rainbow. I remember that day when you came to the Bean Supper at the church. It was the eve of Palm Sunday and nobody wanted to be the criminal for the reading of the Passion Narrative. I looked at you and said; “Will you be my criminal?” You weren’t even a member of the church but you said yes. When you walked into that church you knew you were home again. There is room in God’s heart for you. No exceptions. 

Angela Soto & Children — Oil of Unction — This holy oil represents Christ’s healing touch. In whatever language we say it may we always be one in Jesus. Este aceite sagrado representa el toque sanador de Cristo. En cualquier idioma que decimos que siempre seamos uno en Jesús

Drs. Janet & David — Hymnal — “Singing is praying twice” as St. Augustine said. Thank you for your sacrifice and generosity and and the gift of music today and  all through these many years. It is a blessing to serve along side you.

Kaylen & Luca — Incense — Thank you for your service at the altar of God. May this incense represent our prayers rising to God’s praise and and devotion in serving God’s people. It rejoices my heart to serve with you at the altar of God.

Bill & Phil — Flowers — Their flower shop was called “Beautiful Things”. It was their ministry to comfort the bereaved and shield the joyous. They provided flowers for our wedding day in 1979. They are dear, dear friends. They are going through a rough patch right now. I ask your prayers for Phil and Bill who cannot be here today. 

Which bring me to my mother. I have no desire to engage in controversy on this of all days. But I can hear her voice of sorrow and outrage rise from the grave today. It was during the war and he promised to respect her in the morning but when the rabbit died, he left her holding the bag. What happened then was illegal and dangerous. She could have died. I haven’t said this in a very long time, but “Mom, I love you and these flowers are for you this morning.” I’ll bring them over to Phil and Bill a little later on. But right now, they are for you. 

Cathy — Keys — It is time to hand back to you what you entrusted to me. Keep these doors open so that the inclusive arms of Jesus may extend to all. May God raise up another faithful servant who will continue God’s work with you in Word and Deed in this portion of God’s vineyard. 

John Parnell — Constitution & Canons — Fifty years ago the Diocese of Massachusetts and Bishop John Melville Burgess entrusted this ministry to me. Thank you for that trust. Cindy and I are ready for a break now, but God only knows what lies ahead. I have tried to retire 9 times. 

Whatever else God has in mind this I know. 

All I ever wanted was to be a simple parish priest. 

By the grace of God, this is who I am. 

In the Name of God; the Most Holy, Undivided, and Everlasting Trinity. Amen.

Fr Paul

The following readings are appointed for use on occasions of ministry. 

Collect of the Day

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquillity the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were being cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10: The Call of Samuel

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

The Epistle: Ephesians 4:11-16

The gifts are that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

The Gospel: Matthew 9:35-38: The Harvest Is Great, the Labourers Few

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’