Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul
Installation of Father Michael Rubeling
Pastorate of St. Francis, St. Mary, Holy Family, Middletown, Maryland
June 29, 2025
Third Time Is a Charm
They say the third time’s a charm. As most of you are aware, I made two previous attempts to install Father Michael Rubeling as your pastor. They were cancelled due to inclement weather. There was concern that my car could not pull the hills of Braddock Heights in snow and sleet.
The weather may have been bad and my car may not have made it, but now I know the real reason for two previous cancellations. Father Rubeling wanted to be installed on the Feast Day of St. Peter and Paul. As you know, he was formed for the priesthood in Rome and in Rome this is a very special feast day . . . because tradition says that the streets of Rome are crimson with the blood of Peter and Paul, apostles who are foundational to the life of the Church: “Peter who was foremost in confessing the faith, and Paul who was its outstanding preacher” (Preface).
If we look to Peter and Paul for a job description for Father Rubeling, he along (along with the rest of us) would probably collapse in fright. Such a job description would include every deprivation & hardship imaginable and culminate either by being crucified upside down or dying by the sword. So, let us instead draw from this feast and its readings some insights into the ministry of pastoral leadership and service that Father Rubeling so joyfully and competently assumed already a year ago.
Proclaiming the Faith Like Peter and Paul
First is Peter’s Confession of Faith. Asked by Jesus, “Who do people say that I am?” his disciples responded with a variety of popular opinions. He was thought to be John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus then put his disciples on the spot, asking, “But who do you say that I am?” It was Simon who said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” At that, Jesus gave Simon a new name, “Peter”, which means rock and declared him to be the “rock” on which he would build his Church. For Simon Peter, in the grace of the Holy Spirit, unlocked Jesus’ true identity, as the Christ, the Son of the living God, whose Name the apostles would proclaim to the ends of the earth.
Your pastor is an extraordinary teacher and evangelizer. He preaches Peter’ confession of faith in Jesus Christ with the zeal of Paul. He does this by preaching, by videos, by instructions, and by example. Many things occupy a pastor’s time but bearing witness to Christ and preaching the faith takes pride of place. It is foundational to the life of every parish; in Father Rubeling you are blessed to have not only a teacher of the faith but a witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
The Gospel offers us a second insight into your pastor’s ministry, his ministry of reconciliation. After exulting in Peter’s confession of faith, Jesus bestowed on him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, granting him (and the other apostles) the power to bind and loose sin. Here we find the foundations of the Sacrament of Reconciliation – in which the penitent soul finds forgiveness and freedom from sin.
As you know, Father Rubeling is devoted to the ministry of reconciliation. He is a wise and gentle confessor who generously makes this sacrament of peace and joy widely available. What’s more, by his gentleness and joy he inspires in you and me a ready confidence in the saving mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ, for, in the depth of his love, the Lord desires to draw us unto himself. Father Rubeling seeks surely to offer you absolution from sin, but also the freedom to love one another, to bear your daily burdens, and to live your vocation, especially the vocation of marriage and family.
Freedom for the Work of Evangelization
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see how Peter and his companions were miraculously freed from prison. His chains fell away, the prison doors opened, and he resumed his ministry. Perhaps that is a way of looking at Father Rubeling’s ministry in your midst. Like the angel in that reading who guided the imprisoned Peter to freedom, your pastor seeks to form you, to equip you, and to set you free from fear – to do the work of evangelizing – bearing witness to your faith, reaching out fellow Catholics who no longer practice the faith, reaching out to the who are searching for truth, love, and community. Often we Catholics feel constrained and stymied in the work of evangelization, but under Father Rubeling’s gentle and persuasive leadership, you will feel that you’re part of a team, an evangelizing parish, and that gives all of us the freedom to be evangelizers, like Peter and Paul.
Giving It Your All
Finally, we turn to Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy where he describes the strenuousness and perseverance of his ministry: “I am being poured out like a libation!” Paul says –something every good priest can related to at the end of a long day! Paul goes on to say, “I have finished the race; I have kept the faith…” Your pastor knows well the importance of keeping the faith and striving to proclaim and teach it at all times, even when there are obstacles or resistance. Ministry is joyful but it also involves suffering, a share in Christ’s sufferings. St. Paul was not spared, nor was Peter, nor will any of us be who follow Christ.
Eucharist: Source and Summit
Everything in our lives converges on the celebration of the Eucharist, in which our joys, our sorrows, our challenges are joined to the sacrifice of Christ. The Eucharist is the source of every parish ministry, initiative, activity, all of which, under the leadership of your pastor, flows back to the Eucharist. At the end of the day, the goal of your pastor is to gather at the Eucharist as many as possible to be with Jesus, to hear his Word and to be nourished by his Body and Blood. Thank you, dear friends, for your wholehearted support and participation in the evangelizing and sanctifying mission of this pastorate. Through the intercession of St. Peter and St. Paul, may your pastor continue to lead with fidelity and joy and may this pastorate continue to grow and flourish in God’s abundant grace!