We Don’T Live in Eden: (But We Can Once Again – Believe Me)

By Rev. Michael J. Novick

The challenge I think I face in writing this book is going to be that I dont want anyone who reads it to think that I am whining about my ministry as a Catholic priest. What I hope to accomplish by writing the book is to help educate all of society about our life. I knew that when I embarked upon this writing this book, the topic would be a living and breathing piece that changes constantly. No one day is the same as the next, and rarely is any day the same as any other. Ministry changes and challenges because Gods people change their hopes, needs, dreams, and their relationship with God amongst other things.
This book is not meant to be definitive in nature by any stretch. Its my experience and my vision. You may get to know a little more about me through some journal entries Ive included. I truly hope that those who read it will grow in their appreciation for the Catholic Church and remember to pray for all priests those who have gone before us, all present priests, and the hopeful priests for the future of the Church the Church which is one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic.
Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493191260

Rev. Michael J. Novick

Rev. Michael Novick is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago ordained in 2001 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, IL.

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Copyright © 2014 by Rev. Michael J. Novick.

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Rev. date: 04/09/2014

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CONTENTS

Preface

Vocation

Sacraments

Challenges

The Cardinal Sin—Changing Mass Times

Hierarchy And Structure Of The Church

Pastoring And Poetry

Priestly Obedience And Heavenly Obedience

Finally…

PREFACE

I sit here on May 10, 2010 (yes that is the date I started writing) and contemplate what the Church is turning into before my very eyes, and I weep. I have not yet been ordained nine years (and I will be so next week), but a few years ago, life as a priest really changed. Of course it really has continued to evolve over many years since the Apostles walked the earth, but as I reflect on my ministry and what I see in the society around me and in the news worldwide, we certainly face a completely different set of challenges as I look ahead. So I contemplate, what will the world expect of priests by the time this book is finished?

But I believe that the place to start is with two other questions—where has the Church been over the centuries, and where are we now? The challenge I think I face in writing this book is going to be that I don’t want anyone who reads it to think that I am whining about my ministry as a Catholic priest. What I hope to accomplish by writing the book is to help educate all of society about our life as priests. I will focus on a lack of vocations, scandal over time, and other instances that have hurt the Church in the last 40-50 years. I will give my personal views as to just what is going to need to happen if there is even going to be a Church in the coming years. I hope to make clear that what I write is based in simple love for Jesus Christ to offer hope to a very broken society that hungers for God, even when many don’t know why. My hope is that I can help put a little credibility back into the Catholic Church simply by having a little zeal for the faith we profess.

It is not that my prayer over the last nine years hasn’t had some time offered to this subject, but even through a short nine years, I have met many priests who have helped me to see what ministry should be like. I also know quite a few who make me cringe when I see them at work or hear them speak. I have met many average parishioners who think they have the answers to the way the Church ought to work. I have heard from many people how the Church doesn’t work the way it should—in other words, she doesn’t have an open mind and she doesn’t bow to society’s wishes. I have heard that the Church has too many rules and regulations that don’t fit in society too. However, in all of that, I tell you that the Church DOES work. It is the Church that was, is, and always will be built on the work of Jesus Christ alive among us.

Believe me that as I sit here today I know that I will have critics of my perceptions. I will have people who agree and some who disagree. I may even have a few people who are so put off by my thoughts that they decide to leave the Church too. If that happens, I am sorry. Please know, again, my hope is that as you read, you learn about, and pray for, the Church and its future.

VOCATION

My own journey to priestly ministry began (technically) just like the prophet Jeremiah’s—in the womb. I was conceived in late December of 1966, and born into the world on September 13, 1967, living in the great city of Chicago, IL. I was baptized a tiny, little Catholic just about 3 weeks later. With my godparents to help, my Catholic upbringing began at the font in St. Ethelreda’s Church. After attending first grade at St. Ethelreda, my family moved to Midlothian in the south suburbs. There, through St. Christopher parish, I was provided a fine Catholic education. It was one thing to know that I was learning about the various liberal arts subjects, but making sure that my brother and I had a religious formation was very important to my parents. We always had very good priests at St. Christopher. When I reflect on the many I have known over time, and who have known me, it probably only really amounts to about 20 or so in over 30 years. But our family has always been able to have a special bond with our priests. Therefore, I know what sort of influence they have had on my life and formation.

After I graduated from St. Christopher, I went on to study at Marist High School to continue to be formed in my Catholic education by the Marist Brothers. It’s not a monastery. It’s a high school, just the same type of education as my grammar school—liberal arts plus religious studies. After four wonderful years there, it was on to Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. Also a Catholic school which is run by the Christian Brothers religious order, it was the same thing as the other two schools—liberal arts plus religious studies. Just to clarify, I must also say that when I refer to religious studies, I mean a Catholic faith education that includes attending the Mass on Sundays too. Not to say that we attended Mass on the weekends WITH our classmates, but just being at Church regularly was (AND STILL IS) a part of Catholic education.

I went on to work after graduation from Lewis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics. Yep, I really thought I might be a teacher or statistician or actuary. None of those ever panned out. I didn’t feel comfortable in front of a classroom TEACHING math, even though I was good at SOLVING equations. It was not enough. I applied to every Major League Baseball team to work in their stats department. An offer to work as an intern came, but it would have meant making a major move for virtually no money. I guess if it would have been THAT important to me, I might have gone for it. Obviously, it wasn’t meant to be. And as for working as an actuary, I really didn’t know what that even was except to know that it was part of being in the insurance business. Since my family all had SOMETHING to do with insurance with their jobs at the time, I thought a little about the career. Little did I know how incredibly difficult the work was. A simple math love was not anywhere NEAR enough. So with all of that said, what does one do with a B.A. in Math?

I had even taken a chance and moved out of state for a job with a rather large company. In those years, a salary of about $27,000 sounded pretty good to start. Yet, I was in WAY over my head. I really was not trained for a position like I had. It was worth the effort and experience. Then, after a temporary summer job, I found myself working in a retail warehouse with some promise for advancement. It didn’t only happen at one company, but two companies within six years. In the meantime, I kept on staying involved at my parish and praying all along the way.

I also began to get even more involved in my parish life at St. Christopher. A few years before I graduated from college, I was working with one of our priests in their Young Adult Ministry. It was a fantastic opportunity to listen to different aspects of our faith, and how the presenters gave their experiences of applying their education. We really became a tight-knitted group, but it also only goes so far when individuals start to become couples and begin to move away. Lord knows that changes in life are a constant, but the ministry just began to be more obscure. However, I did learn some valuable skills and tools that helped me in the work world too.

In my position at the second warehouse, I began to develop listening skills within my social nature. I have a flair for remembering names and seem to be an easy