May 2, 2011: He Loved Them to the End. St. Joseph, Pray for Us!
~ by Father Ron Camarda
I had a dream a couple of years ago that the next bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine would wash the feet of his priests and then invite the priests to wash the feet of the people of God.
It happened.
Last Wednesday, the Vatican announced that the auxiliary bishop of Miami, Most Reverend Felipe de Jesus Estevez is to become the new shepherd for the Diocese of St. Augustine chosen by His Holiness Benedict XVI. Bishop Felipe stated that it is a great honor to be chosen as the tenth Bishop of the See of St. Augustine, Florida.
“Today, I come for good for I deeply want to be part of you. I am convinced it is the will of the Eternal Father revealed by the Church’s mediation that we serve together our people in their journey of faith, hope and love – a people destined to act as a sacrament to society in its quest for peace and justice for all.
In imitation of the Christ, the Spouse of the Church, I am committed to love you to the end (John 13,1). I do hope in turn to receive from clergy and faithful all the support and collaboration. It is not my personal success that matters but the fruitfulness that God intends for all of us.”
Beloved, chapter 13 of the Gospel according to Saint John begins the Book of Glory with the washing of the disciples’ feet. As I was reading the chapter I was amazed. Over the past two years, God had revealed to my soul that the motto of our next bishop would be…LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The words are at my sacred prayer space in Hanna State Park. This is the place where I have walked to many times…barefoot on the ocean’s edge.
Bishop Felipe’s Coat of Arms has the motto, “He loved them to the end” in Latin. His Coat of Arms has the Mission Cross on the top and a total Eucharistic theme centered on the Last Supper. In Bishop Felipe de Jesus Estevez’ statement on the morning of the announcement of his selection, he concludes his words to the People of the Diocese of St. Augustine:
With you, I will seek the coming of the Eucharistic kingdom of Christ confident that Mary the star of evangelization will help us all. In her care, let us spread the Eucharistic love of Jesus to the youth and our families, to the poor, to the sick and the suffering humanity. I entrust my new pastoral care to Mary the Eucharistic woman.
I intend to move for good at the beginning of June. I seek your prayers for my installation on June 1st in the context of a Vespers service at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine followed by a Mass of thanksgiving on Thursday, June 2 at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jacksonville. The nature of the event is the making of an apostolic succession, which in fact, this Diocese of St. Augustine has experienced so many times.
Back in 1985, I arrived at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. Father Felipe de Jesus Estevez was the Rector of the seminary and my professor of a class called Spirituality. I still have the papers and the comments Father Felipe made on my papers. Father Felipe took a picture of me and gave it to me. He told me that I had reminded him of Thomas Merton. At the time I didn’t know who Thomas Merton was, but I decided to read about his journey in Seven Story Mountain. Wow!
Photo by Father Estevez, 1985. Yes, I once had hair!
One of my papers
Ministry of Acolyte with Father Felipe looking on
This past Saturday, our Beloved Susi Pittman became an Associate of the Sisters of Saint Joseph at the Motherhouse in St. Augustine. The vowed Sisters wear the Cross of the Mission around their necks. It was a most joyful and beautiful Eucharistic Celebration.
ASSOCIATES WILL STRIVE…
+ to live a life rooted in Scripture
+ to move toward a profound love of God and neighbor
+ to center their life in the Eucharist
+ to reflect simplicity, gentleness, and joy in daily living
ASSOCIATES SAHARE WITH THE SISTERS…
+ prayer life and a desire for union among all people with God
+ giftedness, through works of mercy
+ care and concern for one another and for their neighbor
+ opportunities for spiritual and personal enrichment through retreats, days
of recollection, and community celebrations (locally and congregationally)
Susi, Kathleen, Judith and Martha together made the following commitment before the Altar of God:
I SUSI, DESIRING TO BE AN ASSOCIATE OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF SAINT JOSEPH OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, PROMISE TO STRIVE EVER MORE FULLY FOR A DEEPER UNION WITH GOD, WITH SELF, AND WITH MY NEIGHBOR, AND I PROMISE TO UNITE MY PRAYER AND WORK TO THAT OF THE SISTERS IN AN ATTITUDE OF CORDIAL CHARITY AND PROFOUND HUMILITY.
I COMMIT MYSELF TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND BUILDING HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH, THAT WITH JESUS I MAY SAY, “THAT ALL MAY BE ONE AS YOU, FATHER, ARE IN ME AND I IN YOU: I PRAY THAT THEY MAY BE ONE IN US, THAT THE WOLRD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME.”
Wow! The quote is from chapter 17 of St. John at the end of Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.
I was stunned by what God was showing me. Then, the Sisters of Saint Joseph together proclaimed to the new associates.
We welcome you as companions on our journey as we move toward profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction. Together, may we manifest the healing and reconciling presence of God, and may gentleness, peace and joy be with you.
So last Saturday, after the wonderful ceremony with Susi and the Sisters of Saint Joseph, it was announced that I would be assigned as parochial vicar to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jacksonville beginning July 1. Most interesting is that exactly 25 years ago; I was assigned to Saint Joseph’s as a seminarian for the summer months. That summer, my spiritual director was a Sister of St. Joseph who encouraged me to keep going when I felt like I was being eaten alive. She shared with me that she believed that my priesthood was developing into a Eucharistic one in which you will rejoice in being eaten alive, just like Jesus!
And so on this Sunday which was both a celebration of Divine Mercy and the foster father of Jesus, Saint Joseph the Worker, I can only rejoice in my commitment I made 21 years ago this month in the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine…
He loved them to the end…and washed their feet!
Love, joy, peace,
Father Ron Moses +
Father Ron Camarda is a retired Naval Chaplain and author of “Tear in the Desert,” a powerful book containing his memoirs of life and death at the Battle for Fallujah. Father Ron appears on EWTN and recently won the Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America.
