I want to tell you about a man who built his house upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ. Not just his house, but many other people’s houses as well, and God’s own house, the Church.
As a boy growing up in Los Banos, California, Father Ron would ride his bike to weekday mass early in the morning before school to serve at the altar. He was building his house upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
Building upon that strong foundation, Fr. Ron entered the seminary as a youth. Through high school, college, graduate school, through all the ups and downs and imperfections that are part of life, he continued to have faith in Jesus Christ, and he continued to build his house upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
When it came for ordination, he knew that this was the real game-changer. If he accepted it, he would be a priest forever, with all the tremendous sacrifices and blessings, both known and unknown, that it would bring. This was the point of no-turning-back. He chose to put his life in God’s hands, and he continued to build his house upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
Life as a young priest in an aging religious order that did not always appreciate his youthful enthusiasm brought many challenges, challenges that sometimes might have made him wonder if he could make it, but one day at a time, one challenge at a time, he turned to God and continued to build his house upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
At this time he began his ministry with youth, teaching and coaching high school football, and his many years of life in Christ began to bear wonderful fruit. As a coach he was a priest, and his pulpit was the practice field and game sideline, and teenage boys learned from him not only how to be successful in football, but how to be successful in life, how to build their lives upon the Rock. And as a priest he was a coach, and his field was pulpit and parish, and day by day he taught parishioners, through word and example, how to build their lives upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
In God’s own time and in God’s own way, Fr. Ron became a pastor for our diocese, and the fruit of his life in Christ began to multiply abundantly. For the past 33 years, pastoring five parishes, he has practiced and preached the top 10 fundamentals of following Jesus Christ:
1. The Ministry of Presence. Show up! Early! Fr. Ron understands the importance of connectedness, and he practices it each weekend at the front door of the church, welcoming, learning names, teasing (he’s even been known to splash holy water on sleepy-eyed people!), listening to the joys and sorrow of all who enter. And he continues his ministry of presence with cheerful greetings, thoughtful cards, phone calls and home visits. He is a true priest in that he is a companion – one who breaks bread with others to connect with them and with God.
2. Give. Give generously. Give sacrificially. Give to bring others hope, healing, and joy. Give gladly, and God will give us more and more.
3. Say “Thank you!” Say it often. Notice the things, even the little things, that people do, and thank them. Practice the “attitude of gratitude” every day and you will be happier, and so will the people around you.
4. Respond to human suffering with compassion and care. Be the first to reach out to the poor, the distressed, the frightened, the lost, the sinful, the grieving. Find practical ways to help them.
5. Open your heart to the healing mercy of God. God always forgives us, and we can always forgive others, and forgive ourselves. Always be kind and merciful, because God is kind and merciful. This is the way to true freedom and joy.
6. Let the children – and youth – come to Jesus. And if they don’t come, reach out to them and invite them. Let them know you care and that they are important in the Church and important to God.
7. Hand off the ball! After some good advice and planning, let others take the lead and score a touchdown and have the spotlight.
8. Life isn’t perfect and neither are we. We seek progress, not perfection. Holy Communion is not a reward for being perfect, but food for the journey of life. What matters is that we love God, others and ourselves as we go.
9. Play like a champion. Fr. Ron has taught us that there are two kinds of champions: those who never lose, and those who never give up, and that true victory lies in the latter. Fr. Ron has suffered many physical and personal setbacks over the years, but he always gets up like a champion, leading us to victory in Christ.
10. It’s all about Jesus Christ, and the Church should be all about Jesus Christ, not about customs and traditions, rules and regulations. If those things bring us closer to Christ, then they’re good. If they distract us and turn us into mean-spirited, judgmental Pharisees, they’re bad. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is what will get us through all the challenges of life.
As Fr. Ron has lived and coached others to live these fundamentals of discipleship in each of the parishes he has pastored, he has left them better off spiritually and materially because he and his parishioners have built the house of God upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
Father Ron, we thank you for all you have done each day to help us to build our lives and this parish upon the Rock, the Rock that is Jesus Christ.
