Deacon Tony's Place

Homily - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-01-16T21:04:00.004-05:00

We all love weddings. Weddings are such joyful occasions. Sometimes we are quick to judge a wedding by where the reception was and the quantity of food served. Everyone loves to go to weddings at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach, Queens, New York.

There is certainly no shortage of great food and drink there. I love it when the guests say how full they are after the cocktail hour and dinner, only to see them race up to the Viennese table when it’s presented an hour later.

I am sure the folks in Jesus’ day did somewhat the same. After all, the headwaiter noticed how the good wine was served first.

When I am privileged to witness and preside at a wedding, I try to emphasize that a marriage is more than a wedding day. Couples spend an enormous amount of time preparing for a wedding day and often forget about a marriage, which should last a life time.

St. John gospel is telling about something far greater than the reception.
This story, told in the context of a wedding, reveals the first of Jesus’ signs. Signs point us to something important. A great example of this is a stop sign, which is intended to prevent us harm.

Often in scripture, Weddings symbolize our relationship with God. How often we hear St. Paul speaking about the union between Christ and His Church?

All the signs in John’s Gospel aim to tell us the importance of Jesus presence among his contemporaries and about His Glory achieved through his passion, death and resurrection.

The wedding at Cana, Marriages today, and our relationship with God are all about transformation. God changed ordinary water into extraordinary wine.

How do we transform our lives?

Mary had the answer - Do what ever he tells you?

In today’s Second reading, St. Paul in his letter tells us of all the gifts each of us has been given by the Spirit. The Spirit gives gifts not only to those who are leaders, but to everyone. The Spirit has given us these gifts to transform our lives so we can be signs of God’s Glory among God’s people.

We begin that transformation by opening our minds and hearts to understand St. John’s message about Jesus and to recognize the presence of the risen Christ in our midst.

This past week, we have all seen the death and destruction caused by the earthquake in Haiti. But we have also seen the presence of the risen Christ in the faces of all those who are reaching out with their time, talent and treasure.

May we too recognize the signs of Jesus among us.
May we become signs of the presence of Jesus to all those around us.

The only possession this Haitian woman has - a Rosary?

2010-01-14T22:01:00.008-05:00

In the midst of total devastation, death and destruction, we see this elderly woman, holding on to perhaps her only possession, a rosary.

My dear friends, one who has so little left, shows us so much! The power of prayer and dependence on God is her consolation.

Let us pray for God's presence in the midst of tragedy. If ever we can practice the Gospels Jesus preached, now is the time to do our part for the least of our brothers and sisters.

May God's presence be felt through our prayers, support and generosity.

Feast of the Epiphany - Homily

2010-01-08T20:25:00.003-05:00

Children love stories, the more imaginative and explicit the details , the better. Adults enjoy telling children stories that capture their attention. That is probably why the Harry Potter Series is so popular. But as children age, they come to see those stories as fairy tales and life moves on.

This gospel is a wonderful story and it is easy to get caught up in the details, the star, the magi, the gifts, journey and the newborn King.

But like the children, we have to move on beyond the enticing details and get right to the challenge of the message St. Matthew is trying to get to, God chooses to manifest (Epiphany) Christ Jesus to the world and to us Too!

Matthew tells us of all the people (Herod, the Magi and all Jerusalem) now interested in this new born child. A King destined to Shepherd the people and guide them on their journey to God.

Matthew tells of the The Magi . They were people on a quest, looking for more in their lives. If they had been satisfied with the way things were, they would have stayed put.

Change began for them because God made the first move and showed them a light in their darkness. They didn’t have to follow that light, they could have chosen to stay put, satisfied with the status quo.

But they picked up and began a journey that eventually took them to Christ.
The same is true for us, we are all on our journey of faith. We search for Christ as well as manifest his presence for others. Our task-response is not only to search for Christ among us but also to manifest that divine presence.

In other words, like the Magi who have found the King, we must make him known to others.
The Magi have given the new born King great gifts, but the greatest gift of all was their presence to pay him homage.

Sometimes, we when celebrate great miles stones (birthdays, anniversarys, weddings) and even Christmas itself, we get so caught up in the size of the gift – what’s important is the gift of our selves.

After the lights are down, the trees recycled and the ornaments packed in the attic, our challenge is to live the mystery of Christmas each day. There will still be friends, family members, co-workers, members of our faith community who need to be touched by the light of Christ – we can give them that light by the gift of our presence, a visit, a phone call, a letterand perhaps, an email.

So as we continue to celebrate this great feast and reflect on the mystery of God living among us –
Like the Wisemen who encountered Christ for the first time, and went home another way, may we too be transformed to live in the light of Christ and making his divine presence known to others.

Dedication of St. John Lateran

2007-11-08T20:27:00.000-05:00

If you were to ask 100 people the following question: What is the name of the Pope's main church in Rome? I would guess the 100 people would answer: St. Peter's Basilica. WRONG!

Survey says, "St. John Lateran."

Remember, St. Peter's Basilica is technically not in Rome, but in Vatican City, a sovereign city-state within Italy. St. John's is the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Rome and since the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, his main church is St. John Lateran (aka the Lateran).

American Catholic tells us: The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated until the popes returned from Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in ruins.

Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome’s most imposing churches, the Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which tradition holds St. Peter himself celebrated Mass. Today, the church celebrate's it's dedication.

Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches (St. Mary Major, Sts. Peter and Paul), this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. St. John Lateran is, in a sense, the parish church of all Catholics, for it is the pope's parish, the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.

The church is truly magnificent. My wife and I visited St. John's last year. Incidentally, a little Franciscan fun fact. When St. Francis was seeking papal approval for is order of lesser brothers, he visited Pope Innocent III at St. John Lateran.

Initially, Innocent did not approve. The following day, Innocent reported he had a dream of Francis holding up a tottering Lateran. He then approved Francis' order of lesser brothers. Today, commemorating that event, there is a statue of Francis and his companions across the street looking at the Lateran.

Woman Rabbi finds herself tangled in an Interfaith web

2007-11-06T21:19:00.001-05:00

Rabbi Susan Talve probably had no idea what she was getting herself into when she provided hospitality for a group of dissident women claiming to be ordained Catholic priests.

National Catholic Reporter : Two Catholic women are being ordained by Roman Catholic Womenpriests here Nov. 11, prompting outrage from Catholic officials -- outrage that, surprisingly, is directed less at the women aspiring to the Catholic priesthood, or at the movement ordaining them, than toward a rabbi who agreed to host the event.

The women to be ordained are Elsie Hainz McGrath, a retired writer and editor for a Catholic publishing house, and Rose Marie Dunn Hudson, a former teacher. Bishop Patricia Fresen, who was for many years a Dominican nun, ordained the women as deacons Aug. 12 and will perform the ceremony here. The women are among a growing number of deacons, priests and bishops ordained in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement. Based on responses to formal invitations, Hudson said organizers are expecting 300 to 400 to attend.

Noting that ordaining women is forbidden by Catholic canon law, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke wrote to Rabbi Susan Talve, senior rabbi at Central Reform Congregation -- the synagogue host -- urging her to revoke her offer of hospitality. Meanwhile, the director of the archdiocesan Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Fr. Vincent A. Heier, has excoriated Talve for her role, likening it to a Catholic pastor inviting a Holocaust denier to speak, and describing Talve’s action as a major setback to the area’s strong, hard-won Jewish-Catholic relations.

The president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association, Rabbi Mark Fasman finds it inappropriate for a synagogue to host an event no Catholic parish would allow and, though stressing that he speaks only for himself, acknowledged that among rabbis he is not alone. He is worried that what should be a Catholic issue -- whether women can be ordained -- will provoke a backlash against Jews.

Responding to Catholic concerns, the Jewish Community Relations Council released a statement Oct. 26 distancing itself and other Jewish congregations from Talve’s decision, stressing that Judaism is non-hierarchical and congregations are autonomous. “It is our hope that an isolated act on the part of a single congregation will not be allowed to disrupt the long tradition of continued dialogue and mutual respect between our Jewish and Roman Catholic communities,” the statement said.

The fracas is one that Ronald Modras, professor of theological studies at St. Louis University, finds both fascinating and profoundly symbolic. “It’s a remarkable demonstration of sisterhood,” he said. “You have women of two faiths, Catholic and Jewish, standing together against patriarchal exclusion.” He referred to Talve’s risking the ire of Catholic officials and rabbinical colleagues, both groups predominantly male, and the Catholic women’s bucking Catholic law.

Talve, founding rabbi of Central Reform Congregation, a former president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association and herself active in interfaith affairs, is the most prominent female rabbi in St. Louis. Her urban congregation is noted for its inclusiveness and commitment to social justice. While Talve said she regrets the pain her action has caused to Catholic and other Jewish leaders, she is not backing down.

“These two lovely women who say they want to serve their community approached us. One of our core values is hospitality and providing a shelter of peace for those who are looking for a safe place. It seemed in keeping with these values, which come right from the Torah, to provide a space for them,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Heier, the archdiocesan official, has found Talve’s values misguided. “She has done a number of things in the past few years that I think are borderline in terms of sensitivity, pushing an agenda I don’t always agree with.” In this latest action, he said, “she has moved beyond the bounds.”

For Talve, the surprise is not such anger, but the number of positive responses she has received. Just as St. Louis Jews take differing stances on Talve’s decision -- she secured the unanimous vote of her board and the support of her congregation before agreeing to serve as host -- many Catholics have come forward to thank her for sharing her sacred space. “I have received dozens of letters, scores of e-mails and many phone calls from Catholics -- women religious especially -- who are in support of our hosting the ordination and understand the values that are guiding us,” she said. “It is painful and sad for me that there are people in the Catholic community who are offended by this.”

Talve, while refraining from offering an opinion on what the Catholic church should do, wishes the women well. “I understand the call of women who want to serve in this way, and I believe women have something special to give. I have experienced this in my own life.”

Some think married priests is the answer!

2007-11-05T22:06:00.001-05:00

Allow priests to marry seems to be answer, at least from this journalist point of view to the current clergy shortage. Roger Chesley from Virgina Pilot online thinks he has the magic bullet to solve the current clergy shortage throughout the world.

"GOD BLESS OUR overworked Roman Catholic priests. Their ranks keep thinning, the pews keep filling and dioceses across the nation are scrambling to meet the needs of the faithful.
Whether it's having one priest serve several "clustered" parishes, recruiting more permanent deacons, or increasing the roles of the laity, the Catholic Church hierarchy is struggling to find the right combination to minister to an ever-growing number of parishioners. Especially in this country, single Catholic men aren't seeking the often-austere, task-laden lives of the priesthood.

In article this week by The Pilot's Steven Vegh discussed the push by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond to boost the ranks of deacons, the ordained male clergy who can administer some sacraments but cannot do all the functions handled by priests. Deacons can be married.

A suggestion, one I've mentioned before: Allow married priests. (Though I'm a married Catholic, it's not something I'd seek personally.) A majority of U.S. Catholics favors the change, according to surveys.

I know, I know, the church is not a democracy. And the priest shortage in the United States is not as acute as in other countries, such as Mexico and in parts of Asia and Africa.
Nor am I referring to the handful of priests who were married when they converted from other faiths - mainly Episcopal or Lutheran - to Catholicism. They number only about 100, said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

But it's clear the Catholic Church needs additional help on the altar. In 1975, there were 58,900 diocesan and religious priests in the United States, according to the nonprofit Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. Today, there are 41,449. Meanwhile, the number of Catholics has exploded, from 48.7 million in 1975 to 64.4 million today.

Priests who have left the active ministry to marry, or those married Catholics who want the option of becoming priests, could do a great service for the faith. They would gain spiritually, and they could ease the workload of current priests.

At least the possibility of married priests was discussed two years ago, shortly after Pope Benedict XVI's tenure began, during the Synod of Bishops. The advisory body grappled with the worldwide priest shortage and whether celibacy was necessary.

In the end, church policy was not altered, but "the fact that [open discussion] even happened is significant," said James D. Davidson, sociology professor at Purdue University and one of four authors of the recently released book, "American Catholics Today."

"The idea to expand the pool of people eligible for the priesthood" has gained in intensity in recent decades, he told me by phone Thursday. "Catholics put a value on the sacrament. They see the decline of priests as a potential threat to their ability to get communion or last rites," also called anointing of the sick. Priests, not deacons, must administer the anointing and consecrate bread and wine for Holy Communion.

I might not see the change in my lifetime - the Catholic Church moves glacially. But married Catholic men should have the option of becoming priests. "

After reading the above article, I was disappointed the author mentions nothing new. What Roger and his counterparts forget, our Protestant and Jewish brethren, who allow married clergy do not have their seminaries overflowing either.

Years ago, I was dead against married priests strictly from a conservative point of view. Now, as an ordained deacon, I am still not in favor for not only traditional but practical reasons as well. In particular, the church has struggled almost 40 years in getting the diaconate to a place where families and marriages did not suffer from the demands of ministry. At the onset, believe it or not, a decent percentage of deacons were getting or have already had divorced their wives.

During my formation tenure, I have witnessed several classmates struggle with family and employment priorities. Such demands, if not properly embraced by the entire family can cause irreparable damage to one's family after ordination.

To a certain degree, because deacons have outside employment, priorities are family, employment diaconate. Realistically, it is difficult to compartmentalize these priorities. Deacons, (and I certainly do) must have understanding and charitable wives who value charitable service to the community.

I have got to believe, with married priests, the demands would be far greater and managing one's household more difficult. The church does not want to be in the business of breaking up families.

The real crisis today is not the shortage of priests but the crisis in religious and family values. When one can solve this equation, then we will start to see a reversal not only in the clergy and religious life trend but in the value of life as well.

Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed

2007-11-01T19:41:00.000-04:00

If you have ever entered the Church of Our Savior on Park Ave and 41st street in Manhattan, your eyes are immediately drawn to the large words written across the ceiling of the high altar. “Lord it is good that we are here.”

These words were spoken by St. Peter after he witnessed the transfiguration of our Lord. It must have been a wonderful expereince, one that Peter did not want to end.

My dear friends, tonight it is good that we are here. We are gathered here in this church, united, perhaps in sorrow and sadness as we remember our family and friends who have passed away this year.

But know that as we celebrate the mystery of Christ love at every Eucharist, we are also united in faith and hope that our loved ones are now enjoying everlasting life with the Lord Jesus.

Most of us would agree that our Word is our most important asset - We rarely promise anything unless we can deliver. We are especially careful what we promise our children. They all listen very carefully to our every word and expect results when we make promises.

They will pester us to make sure we deliver.

We must also be careful what we say to adults, especially to a grieving family or friend. Often we are lost for words we greet them at a funeral home. Why? Because deep down we know that we can not magically take away their pain and suffering. Most of the time, we compromise by offering our much needed presence and support.

The same is not true when the Lord Jesus speaks. His words have meaning because he is the only one who can give us hope and offer us eternal life.

Why should we believe him?

No parent would promise their children anything if they could not keep their promises. Do you think Jesus would make a promise he couldn't keep?

Jesus knows how we feel right now.

Although the Gospels are silent on this, I am sure Jesus felt the same when his foster father Joseph died. This is a pretty safe assumption knowing that the gospels tell us how he wept when his friend Lazarus died.

The human person of Jesus felt the same pain we are feeling.

Yet we, as believers, we know that the divine person of Jesus, by his own life, death and resurrection offers humanity a chance to receive everlasting life.

Yes, we all will admit that perhaps all our loved ones, even those who were advanced in age and those who suffered with long illnesses were all taken too suddenly. Unfortunately, we can not change that.

We must find hope and consolation in the words Jesus spoke in our Gospel proclaimed this evening.

We heard him say, “Do not let your heart be troubled.”

"In my father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

“If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?"

My dear friends, tonight, it is good that we are here. It is good that we continue to come to this place to listen more attentively to the words of Jesus, who is the way, the truth and life.

In our prayer life, we must be like children, hanging on to every word spoken by God and believing in God’s promises.

Tonight, we must commit ourselves to follow Jesus and live in faith and hope knowing that our loved ones are at peace with the Lord they most faithfully served.

Let us continue to pray for one another as we continue our journey in life, with faith in Jesus.

Feast of All Saints

2007-10-30T20:21:00.000-04:00

Why are we obligated to come to Mass on All Saints day? The church, in her infinite wisdom obliges us to come to Mass on this feast day because of the importance of recognizing all the saints, not just those canonized. We come to recognize all who have journeyed through life on a path of holiness.

Today, the church desires that we unite ourselves with all those men, women and children who lived their lives loving Jesus following the Gospels he preached.

The Second Vatican Council reminded all Catholic Christians of the most important vocation in life, namely, a universal call to holiness. By our Baptism, whether a priest, religious, or lay person we are all called to holiness.

Perhaps some of the greatest saints or role models we find worthy of imitation have never been canonized, but non the less, they are saints. They might be our parents, our relatives, our teachers, our friends, our parish priests and our co-workers.

Today, in remembering them, we are reminded to live holy lives. We are all called to a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ no matter what form of life we choose. Holiness is really the perfection of faith, hope, and sharing in God’s very nature, which is love.

Is perfection possible? Probably impossible, but that is what makes the journey most interesting. We shouldn't kid ourselves into believing that the saints are made of smooth, carved out marble without imperfections that we see on grand high pedestals. They were ordinary people, who had faults and made mistakes. Some suffered with illnesses and tragedies, others gave their lives for Christ. But at one point in their lives, they all had a desire to be holy. Once they said yes, God's grace did all the rest.

St. Matthew tells us that the path to holiness does not begin when we reach the other side of life. We are blessed now if we strive to live according to the beatitudes. The blessedness is not only a promise of tomorrow, but a reality of today.

God’s grace is within us now. Jesus wants us to live the beatitudes in this life.

Jesus wants us to be poor in spirit, meek, humble, merciful and peacemakers. The beatitudes need to be incorporated in our lives so we too, one day, can share the kingdom of heaven with all the saints and praise God in glory for ever.

Every time we celebrate the liturgy, heaven and earth are united. The liturgy is a foretaste of what we will share with the saints in heaven.

Leon Bloy, a French Catholic writer, once said “the only tragedy in life is not to become a saint.” Holiness is about realizing our deepest, greatest potential, becoming who we were truly destined to be. What a shame it would be to miss it.

Mother Angelica said it a bit more succintly," We are all called to be saints, don't miss the opportunity!"

("Communion of Saints" tapestry depicted above is taken from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in Los Angeles)

Cardinal tells Religious - "Get Blogging"

2007-10-28T21:39:00.000-04:00

Cardinal Ruini, the 76 year old prelate from Italy and former head of the Italian Bishops Conference urges Religious to get the real Jesus and His message out on the web.

Zenit reports: Cardianl Camillo Ruini spoke to the religious at the Pontifical Urbanian University during the diocesan gathering of the Union of Major Superiors of Italy, which represents 1,287 communities and 22,000 religious in Rome. According to the Roman diocesan weekly RomaSette, Cardinal Ruini said: "A priest from Novara told me that the theme of 'Jesus' is very much discussed by youth in blogs.

The focus, though, comes from destructive books that are widespread today, and not from Benedict XVI’s book ‘Jesus of Nazareth. "What will the idea of Christ be in 10 years if these ideas triumph? The 76-year-old prelate admitted, "I don’t understand the Internet, but especially young religious ought to enter blogs and correct the opinions of the youth, showing them the true Jesus.”

“The teaching emergency is central in Benedict XVI's concerns," the cardinal said. "For him, education in the faith coincides with service to society, because to form someone in the faith means to form the human person."

Simply giving motivations for living defeats nihilism and gives value to the human person, a value that is based on Christ himself, the fact that God became a man."The cardinal asserted that an educator’s testimony and content can matter more than pedagogical techniques. He called for catechists to be creative in finding occasions for promoting Benedict XVI’s book, saying it shows the solidity of faith in the historical Jesus of the Gospels, and bases the identity of the Christian in a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

Cardinal Ruini said that in Catholic schools, "the religious can witness to Christ in all their lessons, in the sciences, in history and even in Italian literature, in an inseparable union of faith and culture. Your creativity ought to find new techniques for the vocational challenge, which ought to develop in step with society.

"Progressive" Nun speaks on how to resist patriarchial approaches to church leadership.

2007-10-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

Is Burlingame Mercy Sister Eloise Rosenblatt teaching the faithful to be disobedient? Obviously Sister is not happy with her position in religious life and desires to rally other free thinking religious and laity against the Church instituted by Christ. She plans to speak on “Countering and Challenging Patriarchy in the Church” on Oct. 27 at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Hall in Palo Alto.

The California Catholic Daily reports: The event, sponsored by the Thomas Merton Center in Palo Alto, was advertised in the Oct. 16 Valley Catholic, the newspaper of the San Jose diocese. According to the Oct. 14 Thomas Merton Center bulletin, Sister Eloise will address the question: “How do progressive Catholics, who wish to stay members of the Roman church, change the entrenched patriarchal church systems that disempower the laity in general, and women in particular?”

Sister “will take a broad analytical approach and recognize how subordination works culturally and doctrinally,” said the bulletin. “She proposes long-term strategies for resisting and reforming patriarchal approaches to church leadership, by invoking the church’s own teaching.” (Sounds to me like she is re-interpreting the church's teaching according to her agenda instead of invoking it)

Sister Eloise, both a feminist theologian and a doctor of law, directs ELOROS Inc. (Education, Law, and Religious Organizations), which, says the bulletin, is “a non-profit organization that provides parish inservice education about employment issues and California’s mandatory antidiscrimination training.” In the past, Sister Eloise has addressed other “progressive” gatherings. She offered workshops at the 1998 and 2005 Call to Action West Coast Conferences on the topics, “Keeping your church job,” church law, and clergy sexual exploitation of adult women.

Call to Action is a group that promotes public dissent against Church teaching on women’s ordination, homosexuality, birth control, and other matters.

Need I say any more. If you follow the link above, you will note the number of negative comments Sister received.

Something to think about: Just think what our world and the Catholic Church would be like had Frances Cabrini, Elizabeth Seton, Catherine Sienna, Mother Teresa, Teresa of Avila, Dorothy Day and Mother Angelica (just to name a few) chose to focus their energies on rallying the faithful against the hierarchy.

Francis of Assisi challenged the hierarchy in a positive way, for the benefit of the poor, the marginalized and outcasts.

Harry Potter is kicked out of school!

2007-10-25T21:15:00.000-04:00

Harry has not been expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Fox News reports that a Catholic pastor at a Massachusetts parochial school has made all the Harry Potter books there disappear, saying they are spiritually dangerous for children and could encourage them to engage in witchcraft.

The Rev. Ron Barker of St. Joseph's School in Wakefield, Mass., said he stripped the library there of the fantasy series by British author J.K. Rowling in the last month after discovering the novels were among the 10,000 volumes on the shelves.

"This is a parochial school and I have the moral authority to do this," he said in an interview with FOXNews.com. "For some people, reading those books is a vehicle to become involved in the occult. ... My basic premise is for the spiritual protection of the children."

A group of about a dozen parents complained about Barker's decision to yank the books and wrote a letter petitioning him to put Potter back in the school library.

"We must allow our children the space to discover how to make correct moral choices on their own," the parents wrote. "While we recognize that some fear that Harry Potter books may lead to the practice of Wicca and Satanism, we respectfully disagree that such fears warrant the removal of reading material from the school library."

Barker contends that parents and children have every right to read the Potter series, of which the seventh and final installment "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" came out last summer. He suggested they check them out of the public library or get them at the bookstore but maintained they have no place in a Catholic school.

"I’m not preventing people from buying the books," Barker said. "I’m not marching down to the public library demanding that they burn the books. I'm protecting from what could be a danger to some people. Evil is very seductive."

Barker said. But a few might — and that's what he fears.

I would prefer our children to choose a book from the vast number of classics that have been written. Since I have not read any of the Potter books, I am not inclined to give an opinion. I would love to hear from those of you have read them and tell us what you think.

Is the tide is turning towards Catholicism?

2007-10-24T21:54:00.000-04:00

Yes, according to author David Hartline, the tide is turning towards Catholicism.

If found his interview on ZENIT very interesting. Here are some of the highlights.

Young people want something built on a solid foundation after seeing how the culture of death is destroying society, said author David Hartline.Hartline is the author of the recent book "The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism," published by Catholic Report. In this interview with ZENIT, Hartline considers some of the changing trends in the Church that have come about through courageous Catholic leaders, seen especially in Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Q: What motivated you to write "The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism"?

Hartline: While working for the Church, I began to notice a series of hopeful trends in the Church that few were discussing. I wrote an article for my Catholic Report Web site that was picked up by a number of Internet sites and publications. Because of its popularity, I decided to write a book filled with data and stories concerning my observations.

Q: In what ways do you see the tide turning?

Hartline: It is turning in many ways. In a nutshell, wherever Church orthodoxy is taught the Church is flourishing. This extends to the young and old. In the book, I note that in dioceses where Church orthodoxy is emphasized, we see increases in seminarians and youth involvement in the Church. For example in the United States, the Archdioceses of Denver, St. Louis, and Omaha, along with the Diocese of Lincoln, known for their clear observance of Church orthodoxy, have the same number of men studying for the priesthood than less-orthodox led dioceses that have five to 10 times as many Catholics.

We also see vibrant parishes involved in Scripture study, catechism courses, apologetics, Eucharist adoration, rosary devotions, as well as programs to assist those in need. This is the springtime of evangelization that John Paul II spoke of some years ago. Because of these efforts, we are seeing many converts embrace the Church. There have been some well-known converts in the last 20 years, starting with Scott Hahn, (one of my favorite writers who also runs the St. Paul's Center for Biblical Theology) Deacon Alex Jones, Francis Beckwith and even bishops from other churches.

However, these are just a few illustrative examples; there are millions of converts who came into the Church in the last few years who were well versed in the teachings of their previous churches, some who were even proudly anti-Catholic. However in their quest to prove Catholicism wrong, many found the Catholic Church to be the one Jesus founded. Often, converts approach me at the various talks I give and say three things kept them from Catholicism; the Eucharist, Mary and the papacy. When I asked what brought them into the Church they basically give the same answer, the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother and the Holy Father, or the magisterium.

These were all subjects they knew little about until the read the early Church Fathers and saw the continuum of 2,000 years of the Church's history and teachings. While there are hopeful signs in the United States and Latin America, and even glimmers of hope in Europe, the most vibrant areas of the Church can be found in Africa and Asia. In 2006 alone, some 8 million converts came into the Church and 3,000 priests were ordained in Asia and Africa.On these continents, the faithful often have many struggles, political and religious oppression along with poverty.

However, "the least of these" sure seem to be showing the wealthier parts of the Catholic world how to live and practice their faith. Recently, a priest originally from Uganda was visiting the United States to raise money for his parish in Sudan. This visiting priest told me he was taken aback by some in the Western world who verbally attack the Church, some of whom were even members of the Church. He said such a thing would be unthinkable in much of Africa, since the Church, its teachings and graces, such as the sacraments, are embraced with awe, wonder and gratitude.

Finally, one can't talk about the turning tide without mentioning the worldwide influence of Mother Teresa and Mother Angelica. One was called to help the forgotten and the poorest of the poor, while the other was called to launch a worldwide television and radio ministry to evangelize and defend the Church throughout the four corners of the earth.

Q: In the United States you trace this turning tide to World Youth Day in Denver that occurred in 1993. Why do you see this event as a catalyst?

Hartline: There are three events I believe helped turn the tide.The first took place with the election of John Paul II in 1978, the second was World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, and the third was the huge outpouring of love from millions of people both in Rome and throughout the four corners of the world after the death of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI.

Funny, we are experiencing the same results with some of the traditional religious orders.

Welcome Sisters and Brothers!

2007-10-24T21:16:00.001-04:00

While efforts for dialogue between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church have been derailed, there is continued good news to report from Ireland. Three parishes from the Church of Ireland have asked for full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

The parishes, in counties Down, Tyrone and Laois are members of the 'traditional rite' within the Church of Ireland. The Irish Catholic newspaper, has learnt that the members of these parishes, along with traditional Anglicans from twelve other countries, have signed a letter to the Vatican seeking "full, corporate, sacramental union" with the Catholic Church under the authority of the Pope.

The dramatic move would see the entire parish communities received in to the Catholic Church. While only a few hundred Anglicans in Ireland will be affected, the move, if approved by the Vatican, would see 400,000 Anglicans worldwide admitted into the Catholic Church, the paper reports. The traditional rite of the Church of Ireland emerged in 1991 after the House of Bishops of the Church of Ireland decided to start ordaining women. Traditionalist Anglicans decried the move as a "defiance of both Scripture and Tradition.

"A spokesman for the traditional rite confirmed that the members of the traditional rite of the Church of Ireland did hope to be received into "full communion with the See of Rome". A decision was made at a plenary meeting of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), the umbrella organisation for traditional Anglicans, to petition Rome for such a move earlier this month.According to a statement from the TAC "the bishops and vicars-general unanimously agreed to the text of a letter to the See of Rome seeking full, corporate, sacramental union.

"The letter was signed solemnly by all the College and entrusted to the Primate and two bishops chosen by the College to be presented to the Holy See," the statement added.A spokesman said "the letter was cordially received at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."The Primate of the TAC has agreed that no member of the College will give interviews until the Holy See has considered the letter and responded," he said.

It is rare for entire Anglican communities to seek corporate communion with the Catholic Church whereby every member of the parish becomes Catholic and the parish effectively becomes part of the Catholic Church. There have been a number of high-profile individual conversions. Most recently, Anita Henderson, wife of the Church of Ireland Bishop of Killala was received in to the Catholic Church in a private ceremony in Ballina, Co Mayo. In the US, the so-called 'pastoral provision' allows Catholic bishops to establish 'Anglican Use Catholic parishes', which use a liturgy adapted from Anglicanism. However, the parishes are in full communion with the Holy See and accept all Catholic teachings.

Bishop urges Catholic youth to be bold in their faith

2007-10-22T22:26:00.000-04:00

Catholic adults are not the only ones hearing Pope Benedict's message to be "steadfast in faith."

The Bishop of Harrisburg Pennsylvania, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades tells more than 500 Catholic youth," Never be ashamed of your faith." The bishop of Harrisburg presented strong reaffirmations of Christian faith in a homily he delivered to an audience of mostly middle-schoolers from Lancaster and Lebanon counties who are beginning their journey toward confirmation.

"It takes courage to be a Catholic today. Never be afraid to be a Christian," Rhoades said. The bishop's homily urged the mainly seventh-grade students to stand firm and profess a strong faith in Jesus Christ.

About 570 parishioners from 26 Catholic churches in the two counties attended the Mass, which kicked off the start of the Youth Education Summit, a two-year spiritual preparation for the seventh-graders' confirmation. Yolanda Larson, the pastoral associate for youth at the church, was the main organizer of the kick-off event. "Some of the parishes [in attendance] which are really small can't do this on their own," she said. "We looked at their needs, and there needs to be a first concrete step for them [toward confirmation]." "We've never done anything this large," said Sister Mary Elizabeth Schmidt of the Sacred Heart Convent in Lancaster. "The kids were excited to have the bishop coming."Schmidt sat on the committee that organized the event.

The committee was composed of five other members of the Lancaster and Lebanon deaneries. Rhoades also told the audience to affirm the centrality of Christ in their faith. "If one of your non-Christian friends asked who Jesus Christ is, what would you say?" he asked the students. Children in the audience gave a variety of answers for the bishop. "Jesus is the savior," one said."He is the Son of God," another said."He is part of the trinity," said still another."No matter what, he is with us," Rhoades said. "Don't let a day go by without cultivating that relationship.

"The 49-year-old Rhoades also detailed his own personal journey into the seminary in college. "Seventh-grade was the first time I started thinking about becoming a priest," he said. "I went to college, but the calling was still there. I kept resisting it. One day I surrendered. It is a big sacrifice."Be open to the Lord's call for your vocation," he told the audience. Afterward, the bishop spoke with parishioners in the church lobby. The homily and Mass were accompanied by music performed by Women at the Well.

I was amazed to learn that the youth from this diocese embark on a two year Confirmation spiritual preparation program. In our parish, the program is far less than one year. The youth and their catechists should be commended for their commitment.

Nuns and Bikers team up for the needy

2007-10-22T21:08:00.000-04:00

Over the years nuns have ventured out of the class room into hospitals, homeless shelters and day care centers. In Houston, they have teamed up with Harley riders in the annual Nun Run for charity.

For Sister Deenan Hubbard, peace comes from prayer. But freedom comes from coasting a foot off the ground at 55 mph while sitting sidecar on a Harley. "It is a blast!" Hubbard exclaimed Saturday before setting off on a motorcycle trip from Houston to Galveston with 19 other Roman Catholic nuns and about 250 bikers.

Called the Nun Run, the motorcycle rally was sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and the Christus Foundation for HealthCare to raise money for the needy. Riding on a motorcycle with the wind in her face is especially sweet, Hubbard said, knowing that she is doing God's work. The rose on her forearm, a temporary tattoo, was appropriate for the occasion, she said grinning.

"I'm the lead bike!," Hubbard beamed as motorcycle engines roared. She, and her brother, longtime biker Ted Hubbard, started the rally three years ago. Hubbard recalls approaching church officials about endorsing the idea. "They said, 'What? Bikers and nuns?' " She responded: "Why not?" The first rally drew about 60 bikers and raised about $15,000. This year's Nun Run, Hubbard said, drew about 250 bikers and raised $100,000 for Christus Southwest Community Health Center to help needy families.

Saturday's rally began as a festival of sorts at Villa de Matel, the order's motherhouse just south of downtown. Inside were a tattoo station and tables where bikers in leather had breakfast with nuns, some in traditional attire.

Outdoors, eager nuns — several of them elderly — waited in line for quick motorcycle rides around the convent grounds. "May I have a ride now?" "Is it my turn?"Sister Mary Nora Dwan, 90, was ready for a spin. "I'm going to get in there," she declared to her friends before being helped into a sidecar. Wearing a black Harley Davidson bandana over her veil, Dwan gracefully waved goodbye with one hand and shook a pom-pom with the other as the driver whisked her away.

Bikers set to drive the nuns to Galveston said they were mindful that they would be carrying special cargo. "Oh, yeah," said Doyle Keeling, who provided his sidekick with a helmet equipped with a microphone so the two could speak during the 50-mile trip. Bikers Morris and Miriam Hall, who are not especially religious, said the Nun Run makes them feel a little closer to God.

And it might just help keep his bike in good shape and fend off flat tires, said Morris Hill, adding that he and his wife donated about $170 to the event. Funds were raised through entry fees as well as personal and corporate donations delivered before and at the event. Many nuns accompanied the bikers to Galveston by bus.

Before they left, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza and Jim McIngvale of Gallery Furniture gathered the crowd for a last-minute fundraising plea. They barbed one another in playful theatrics, sending hundreds into laughter over who could raise the most money. Volunteers held two helmets in the air — silver for McIngvale, black for Fiorenza. Bikers, nuns and visitors hustled to drop cash into the helmets. Fiorenza won. He said a prayer. Then bikers and nuns alike made the sign of the cross.

Story was featured in the Houston Chronicle.

Why Catholics Pray the Rosary?

2007-10-22T20:28:00.000-04:00

The recitation of the rosary has been a time honored Marian devotion for centuries. During the pre-Vatican II days, the rosary was very popular since many congregants attending mass understood very little Latin and prayed the rosary instead. You can still see remnants of mature Catholics practicing the same.

Since Vatican II, the rosary, like many other devotional practices have generally fallen out of favor. Recently, the tide has been changing. Catholics are re-discovering this hidden jewel of the church. The Rosary itself has been enhanced to include scriptural meditations at each decade.

Personally, I love the rosary. Often, we don't have time for contemplative prayer. The rosary is a chance to really focus on and meditate on each aspect of God's redemptive plan for all humanity.

The Catholic Sun reported: Catholics have been praying the rosary for more than 800 years with confidence God will hear their prayers, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix, Arizona said. “With Mary His Mother, we gaze on the face of Christ, contemplating the mysteries of His life, those mysteries by which the world is redeemed,” he said.

“Such contemplative prayer helps us, like Mary, to love her Son,” the bishop said. “It deepens our desire to serve Him and to pray for the needs of His Body, the Church.”

While traditionally Catholics have believed the Blessed Mother gave the rosary to St. Dominic in the 13th century, Dominican Father James Thompson said the actual historical source isn’t clear.

What is clear is that the 150 Hail Marys of the 15-decade rosary correspond to the 150 psalms prayed by the Church, he said. “It’s a lay person’s way of participating in the prayer of the Church,” Fr. Thompson said. “You can look at it as a ready-made prayer service. You don’t even need to be literate, much less ordained or religious to do it.”

While the rosary has been an official prayer of the Church and the preferred devotion of many saints, “We cannot use anything we do not understand, especially when it comes to prayer,” Bishop Olmsted said.

Those who discover the contemplative, Christ-centered nature of the rosary will find it to be a great help in nurturing a lively friendship with Jesus,” he said. “They will also discover, if they persevere for a week or more, that the repetitiveness of the rosary’s Hail Marys is a real help in dealing with distractions,” the bishop said. “Repetition is the language of love: we never get tired of hearing ‘I love you.’”

This language of the rosary has transformed many Catholics in the Phoenix Diocese, lay and religious alike. Mary Fierros, a parishioner at St. Louis the King in Glendale and a member of the Legion of Mary, started praying the rosary 40 years ago. “I had breathing difficulties, so I promised Our Lady that if I were healed I’d pray the rosary every day,” she said. “I haven’t had trouble breathing since.”

“When one prays the rosary, one remembers the promises God made through his Angel Gabriel,” said Levi Vazquez, who heads up the rosary group with his wife Guillermina. Before the crucifixion, Mary was mother to Jesus, Vazquez said. After Jesus told John, “Behold your mother,” Mary was mother to all humanity.

“As her children, we must ask her for what we need,” Vazquez said. As with our biological mothers, he said Catholics could have an intimate relationship with Mary. “You have to have that personal encounter with her. She’ll give you little proofs, and you’ll come to know her more and more — though you’ll never know her completely,” Vazquez said.

If you had not prayed the rosary in a long time, or never had a chance to be acquinted with it, give it a try.

Pope Benedict meets with World Religious Leaders, condemns all forms of violence.

2007-10-21T21:56:00.001-04:00

Pope Benedict met with religious leaders from around the world. Urged all to work for peace and to denounce violence. "Religion can never justify violence." He also condemned the deplorable local acts of violence in Naples.

MSNBC reports: The pope's visit coincided with a three-day meeting of religious leaders from around the world on the role of religion and culture in creating a violence-free world.

The pope told the Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist leaders they must work for peace and reconciliation among peoples.

"In a world wounded by conflicts, where violence is justified in God's name, it's important to repeat that religion can never become a vehicle of hatred, it can never be used in God's name to justify violence," he said. "On the contrary, religions can and must offer precious resources to build a peaceful humanity, because they speak about peace in the heart of man."

While the pope's message was universal, it had particular resonance in Naples, which has long been one of Italy's most violent cities. Besides petty crime, it has been wracked by Camorra turf battles over drug and arms trafficking, prostitution rackets and other lucrative activities.

During an open-air Mass in Naples' main square, Benedict called for programs in schools and the workplace to change a "mentality" of violence that he said increasingly draws in young people who have few economic opportunities.

They (Religious Leaders) were gathered for the 21st annual peace meeting sponsored by Sant'Egidio Community, a Rome-based lay Catholic organization. Pope John Paul II hosted the first such meeting in the hilltop town of Assisi, birthplace of peace-loving St. Francis, in 1986.

Liturgy of the Hours - Not just for Clergy & Religious

2007-10-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

St. Paul tells us to pray always without ceasing. Did you ever wonder how this is possible? For centuries, clergy, religious and contemplatives pray/chant the Divine Office (Liturgy of Hours). It's a tradition of santifying certain times of the day.

Deacons are also obligated to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, specifically morning and evening prayer. Personally, this daily ritual allows me to connect with God and at the same time, fulfill an obligation to pray for the special intentions of the church throughout the world. We all know the power of prayer, hundreds of thousands of clergy, relgious and even lay people too are also joining their prayer with yours.

The Long Island Catholic reports: For many people, the Liturgy of the Hours evokes images of a priest reading a breviary alone or monks or sisters chanting the Psalms in unison. But the Liturgy of the Hours is “the common prayer of the Church” for everyone — a simple form of prayer that anyone can pray in a group or alone, said Sister of Mercy Sheila Browne, associate director of the diocesan Office of Worship.

The Liturgy of the Hours presents a way to be mindful of the gift of the different hours of the day. Someone can choose to say the Liturgy of the Hours just once, such as morning or evening prayer, or can mark each of the traditional seven hours. Though there are some variations, the format each time encompasses an opening prayer, a hymn, praying the Psalms, a reading from Scripture, intercessory prayer, the Lord’s Prayer or “Our Father,” and a concluding prayer, she noted. “It runs a few pages if you print it as a booklet,” Sister Sheila said. “It could take 10 minutes to pray by yourself, say if you’re riding the Long Island Rail Road.” Praying aloud with others generally takes 15 to 20 minutes.

“The custom of gathering at certain times of the day to pray is very, very ancient,” predating Christianity, Father DeGrocco said. There is evidence that the early Church prayed in common at certain hours.“It was later on that the Liturgy of the Hours became the prayer of the clergy and religious,” Sister Mary Alice said. “The rosary became more popular with the laity.”

“The Church has made great strides since the Second Vatican Council in opening up the Liturgy of the Hours to wider use,” Sister Sheila said. The clergy are still obliged to pray it. “There are some parishes that celebrate it weekly. Some parishes do so only during certain seasons, such as Advent and Lent,” Sister Mary Alice said. In addition, parishioners can pray it informally.

“In the diocesan Pastoral Formation Institute,” she continued, “we try to give our students an experience of Liturgy of the Hours and train lay people in how to lead the prayer.” “Every Christian has the obligation to pray unceasingly,” Father DeGrocco said, citing the words of St. Paul, according to his or her individual state of life and circumstances. “Praying the Hours is one way.

“You can get the book, ‘Liturgy of the Hours,’ at a religious book store,” Sister Sheila said. “Or it can be ordered from a liturgical press.” She added that there are simplified forms for use by groups or families. “There are also Web sites that you can download it from, such as www.universalis.com or www.ebreviary.com.”

Try it, you might like it!

Is Giuliani an enemy of Conservative Christians?

2007-10-20T12:54:00.000-04:00

Ruddy himself has said, "I am not your enemy." With each passing day, religion and religious values are becoming more and more the main issue for the next presidential election. All candidates realize this and all are trying to work their way through it without offending any side. The truth is, you are who you are and your actions speak louder than your rhetoric.

The New York Times reports: Rudolph W. Giuliani strolled into the maw of the religious conservative movement Saturday, seeking to defuse a crowd of over 2,000 activists with language of Christian inclusiveness and shared values, while offering a litany of promises meant to convey that he would not be their enemy if elected president.

Mr. Giuliani, who addressed the audience at the Values Voter Summit here for about 40 minutes, talked about his beliefs, saying his reliance on God’s guidance was at “the core of who I am.” He said he understood and agreed with the feelings of many that their “values are under assault by a culture that is moving in the wrong direction.”

Mr. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, acknowledged that members of the audience probably had serious differences with him, but after his speech, even his critics said his performance may have swayed some Christian conservatives to at least drop opposition to his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He, like other speakers, was met with a standing ovation.

Mr. Giuliani’s appearance Saturday was one of the most highly anticipated moments of the campaign. When Mr. Giuliani announced his presidential run this year, many dismissed his chances of winning the Republican nomination because of his liberal views on social issues — a core part of the party’s conservative platform — and his personal life. Mr. Giuliani supports abortion and gay rights. He has been twice divorced and is estranged from his two children. He was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic schools, though he does not regularly attend church.

But he has led in national polls, prompting growing alarm among Christian conservative leaders whose followers are a powerful voting bloc in the party. Several dozen evangelical leaders met recently in Salt Lake City and vowed to support a third-party candidate if Mr. Giuliani won the nomination.

Rick Scarborough, an influential conservative leader who heads the group Vision America, said Mr. Giuliani may have succeeded in defusing that possibility and helped his chances in the general election among Christian conservatives with his performance Saturday.

The saga continues!

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Perseverance

2007-10-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

Please note, when reading this homily, keep in mind that it will be preached at our Cluster's Life Teen Mass.

About 5 years ago, a very wise priest was about to address a group of men considering becoming deacons. He asked us this important question.

What is your most important vocation/calling in life?

Because I believe it was one of the most important questions ever asked, I would like to begin by asking you the same.

Many, like yourselves, answered everything but God’s call to holiness. Each of us are called to be the best person, the best Christian we can possibly be. If we actively respond to God’s call to holiness – then we can be the best teenager, student, son, daughter, friend, priest, religious or what ever.

Jesus has told us, be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.
Holiness is a task – we have to work at it. We can not grow weary.

Being the best at anything today requires much practice, knowing where to go for help and most of all, perseverance.

Why is perseverance so important? We all love a sense of accomplishment. To quote a popular cliche. When the going gets tough the tough get going.

Faith has a lot of competition in the world.

You may experience peer pressure from friends, some might say, “Why do you have to go to mass on Sunday evenings? Let’s all go hangout by the shore.”

As students, you are probably always so busy with school work. Perhaps loaded up with AP classes, involved in all kinds of activities and sports programs.

Then there’s television, especially reality TV shows that keep telling you to value only materialistic things. Money, power and success is where its at!

Society and Role Models - Kathy Griffin Comedian, who doesn’t believe it’s necessary to thank Jesus for her award. “He had nothing to do it.” The sad news about Kathy’s comments, many young people laughed along with her.

Today’s readings tell us that diligence and perseverance are noble and praiseworthy in the eyes of God.

They tell us that God has placed a calling on each of our hearts. God wants us to use the gifts He has given us no matter what challenges or worldly obstacles that are placed in our path. We need to be prepared to meet those challenges head-on and remove those obstacles.

In the first reading, Moses had to keep his arms raised beyond pain to protect the Israelites. Sometimes, we have to do things, even if it hurts as long as we do what is right. Other times we have to help and support each other on their faith journey. Moses had the support of Aaron and Hur. Who do we support?

In the Gospel, we heard about the widow who nagged the judge until he saw things her way. God does not want us be nags, but, like the widow, He wants us to be persistent in our prayer life.

Prayer as you know is not just asking all the time. Prayer does not always result in a request granted. Perseverance in prayer strengthens our faith. It enables us to see beyond our own particular needs and know that we are all part of a larger plan of spending eternity with God.

Prayer is about listening! At times, we are not good listeners.

It amazes me every time I am on the express bus, there is always some talking constantly from the moment we leave mid-town Manhattan until we come into Bay Ridge Brooklyn.

I often feel sorry for the person on the other end of the phone.

St. Paul tells us to listen to the voice of God speaking directly in the Bible. He tells us to remain faithful to what we have learned and believed.

Why? So we will not to be swayed by all the false teachings that surround us. The Bible expresses God’s will for salvation, a message that every one of us needs to hear and obey.

Bibles are useful for teaching and for training in righteousness. They are not show pieces in the home, they are meant to be used!

Getting back to our original question. We can begin answering our call to holiness by listening to God speaking to us in the scriptures.

We can begin answering our call to holiness by deepening our prayer life.

Perseverance and persistence requires discipline. Like cardio exercise and weight training you have to do it on a regular basis. Once a week is not enough.

We all carry all kinds of electronic devices. We use cell phones to stay in touch with our families and friends.

We use blackberry’s to stay in touch with co-workers and employers. Did you ever think about carrying a pocket size bible to stay in touch with God? I understand you even download passages from the bible or your favorite prayers on your iPod.

As we continue to celebrate this Eucharist – the gift of God’s love for us. Let us leave here this evening thinking about how we can better respond to God’s call of holiness.

May we open our ears and our hearts to God speaking to us in sacred scripture.

May we become more persistent in our prayer life and remain steadfast in hope that every prayer spoken or in the silence of our hearts, is heard by God.

Retiree keeps things rolling!

2007-10-18T21:03:00.000-04:00

Did you ever wonder what life would be like once you retired? There should be plenty of time for golf, family, hobbies and Caribbean vacations. No so for Henry DelCastillo, a 35-year career as a sales management executive at Mattel.

Henry made the decision to retire.“I made the choice to retire, even though my company wasn’t ready for me to go,” explained DelCastillo, who had also retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of colonel 10 years earlier after 36 years of continuous service. “I had decided that I wanted to move on.”He found himself filled with the same restless energy that had driven him from his home at age 17 and propelled him into a life of consistent achievement and impressive professional success.

He was ready to search for something to fill his time.“…After I stopped working, I found myself wondering, ‘What am I going to do…?’ he admitted. “I don’t play golf, I don’t really have hobbies, and my grandchildren are grown. I realized that I needed to be involved in service.”

The drive to be productive is a deeply ingrained personal characteristic, explained DelCastillo, a native of New York City. “I was a high school dropout. I joined the Army on a whim at 17. The Army got me on the right path, and I began working toward my education,” he recalled.

Having attended other area Catholic churches in the past, DelCastillo found himself inspired by a meeting in 2004 with Father John Robert Skeldon, who was serving as an associate pastor at St. Michael Church in Bedford at the time.

Talking with Fr. Skeldon was a turning point for me,” reflected DelCastillo. “He was very instrumental in leading me into this life of service. I consider it something of an awakening.”

After becoming a parishioner at St. Michael’s, DelCastillo soon became involved in weekly Scripture studies, stewardship efforts, and the work of the Northeast Emergency Distribution Committee (NEED), an interfaith outreach program supported by the parish. As he personally interviewed NEED clients as a volunteer counselor, he was struck by the problems faced by individuals who lacked dependable transportation and were thus unable to find and maintain employment.“

The transportation service, offered free of charge to eligible residents, has now been operational for over a year and has provided over 2,000 rides during that time. American Red Cross vans provide transportation from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, to low-income workers in the HEB area.

As for Henry DelCastillo, while he considers the HEB Transit Project “a tremendous success,” he isn’t content to rest upon his laurels. He is also passionate about his work with “Educate the Children,” a Mission Council program of the Diocese of Fort Worth that partners with Father Bob Thames in serving children in Cabezas, Bolivia. DelCastillo has been to Bolivia twice to assist with the program, he said. “Actually, my reasons for serving are very selfish,” mused DelCastillo. “I just want to ‘pay back’ for all of the benefits and treasures I have received.

The Holy Spirit has entered my life, and while I thought I was the one in charge all these years, it’s taken me until now to learn that [God] was the one who has always been in control. And I’m grateful. That’s why I do what I do.” This inspirational story was featured in North Texas Catholic.

Henry, did you consider becoming a Deacon?

St. Luke, the Evangelist & Historian

2007-10-17T21:38:00.000-04:00

"Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received." (Luke 1: 3-4)

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Luke who provides us with the beautiful Nativity story and wrote the longest Gospel. Luke is also the writer of the Acts of the Apostles. "Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem and remains near him when he is imprisoned in Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion. "Only Luke is with me," Paul writes (2 Timothy 4:11). (American Catholic)

He is sometimes referred to as the “historian” among the evangelists. While he does make historical references to Roman Emperors and Jewish Kings, some of his details are vague and not always accurate.

Luke’s intent in presenting an orderly narrative is to show God working to move human history through the various periods of salvation. Part of Luke’s message is that the good news of Jesus is meant for all people.

Christologically, Jesus is a great prophet; Lord of all nations, Savior of the poor. Jesus heals the sick & impaired people; forgiving sinners and debtors. You will be judged on how you use your wealth and possessions (many parables on the rich & poor).

Legend attributes the creation of the famous Our Lady of Czestochowa (also known as the Black Madonna) to St. Luke, the evangelist. It has been said that St. Luke "painted a portrait of the Virgin on the cedar wood table at which she had taken her meals." St. Helena, the Queen-Mother of Emperor Constantine is said to have located the portrait during her visit to the Holy Land and to have brought it to Constantinople in the fourth century. After remaining there for five centuries, it allegedly was transferred in royal dowries until it made its way to Poland.

An Argument Atheists Kant Refute

2007-10-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

Recently, atheists have stepped up their attacks on religious beliefs. New books have been written that essentially call those who are believers superstitious fools. The Age of Enlightenment brought many to question humanity's quest for God. There is however, one philosopher, a product of the same Age that differed with his contemporaries.

Catholic Online featured the following story that was initially published in the Christian Science Monitor. This atheist attack is based on a fallacy – the Fallacy of the Enlightenment. It was pointed out by the great Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant erected a sturdy intellectual bulwark against atheism that hasn't been breached since. His defense doesn't draw on sacred texts or any other sources of authority to which people of faith might naturally and rightfully turn when confronted with atheist arguments. Instead, it relies on the only framework that today's atheist proselytizers say is valid: reason.

The Fallacy of the Enlightenment is the glib assumption that there is only one limit to what human beings can know – reality itself. This view says we can find out more and more until eventually there is nothing more to discover. It holds that human reason and science can, in principle, unmask the whole of reality.

In his 1781 "Critique of Pure Reason," Kant showed that this premise is false. In fact, he argued, there is a much greater limit to what human beings can know. Kant showed that human knowledge is constrained not merely by the unlimited magnitude of reality but also by a limited sensory apparatus of perception. Consider a tape recorder. It captures only one mode of reality, namely sound. Thus all aspects of reality that cannot be captured in sound are beyond its reach. The same, Kant would argue, is true of human beings. The only way we apprehend empirical reality is through our five senses.

Thus, when Christopher Hitchens and other atheists routinely dismiss religious claims on the grounds that "what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence," they are making what philosophers like to call a category mistake. We learn from Kant that within the domain of experience, human reason is sovereign, but it is in no way unreasonable to believe things on faith that simply cannot be adjudicated by reason.

Kant exposes the ignorant boast of atheists that atheism operates on a higher intellectual plane than theism. He shows that reason must know its limits in order to be truly reasonable. Atheism foolishly presumes that reason is in principle capable of figuring out all that there is, while theism at least knows that there is a reality greater than, and beyond, that which our senses and our minds can ever apprehend.

Be wary of false prophets!

Who is the real quarterback?

2007-10-16T19:50:00.000-04:00

For Deanna Favre, wife of the three-time MVP Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre, prayer is her best defensive play. Deana had many opportunities to give up on life and God, but through all her misfortune, tragedies and illnesses, she survived through the power of prayer. Milwaukee Catholic Herald featured the following story this past week.

Deanna’s approach to prayer and faith goes far beyond the gridiron. Her Catholic faith and the power of prayer are what sustained her through her bout with breast cancer three years ago, as well as through the many tragedies which have befallen her family, including the untimely deaths of her father-in-law, Irvin Favre, her brother, Casey Tynes, and two months ago, the death of her stepfather, Rocky Byrd.

“I think your faith does really deepen when things happen,” she said in a telephone interview with your Catholic Herald. “It taught me a lesson, because it seems I was calling on God a whole lot more than when I used to, but we need to be thankful for all the things in life, and need to say thank you to God, rather than waiting until something bad happens to call on him. We have so much to be thankful for; we are financially set, our children are healthy.”

Deanna described her upbringing in Kiln, Miss., as faith-centered. “My mom (Ann Byrd) was very, very Catholic, taking us to church every Sunday, teaching catechism classes,” she said. In fact, she said some of her earliest memories of Brett date back to catechism class. Both Deanna and Brett went to a public school, but every Wednesday a bus took the public elementary school students to catechism classes at Annunciation Catholic Church after school.

“I love being Catholic,” said Deanna. “Some people think it’s too traditional because we repeat the same things at every Mass, but I love the fact that we re-enact the Last Supper every week, because it reminds us of what God did for us.”

In her book, “Don’t Bet Against Me: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life,” Deanna wrote, “But hearing Dr. Henry’s voice brought the truth home with stunning force. I had a loving husband, two daughters, a wonderful life. And breast cancer. Unavoidable. True. Deadly.”She goes on to describe how she told Brett the news. He had been calling her regularly the morning she went for the biopsy. Each time, she told him she had no news. Call back after 12:30.“Brett didn’t wait until 12:30. I had barely disconnected the doctor’s call when my phone rang again. Without even saying hello, Brett asked, “Did you hear anything?” When I didn’t — couldn’t — answer, he exhaled a jagged breath, “Oh, God.”

His spontaneous prayer would have to suffice; I was too numb to pray. Prayer part of recovery. Once the initial shock of the diagnosis wore off, however, Deanna said prayer was a big part of her recovery. One of her reasons in writing the book, she said, was to help others realize the power of prayer. “The faith aspect of it, too. I don’t think people always realize the power of prayer and how faith plays a role in recovery or getting over the loss of somebody,” she said. “I don’t want people to think I’m perfect in my faith, and I’m not saying I am holier than thou, but it’s helped me get out of different things in life.”

Prior to breast cancer, Deanna said she had occasionally wondered about her life’s purpose. “I remember always thinking, ‘OK, God, if you have a plan or purpose for me, you need to spell it out.’ Now it’s so funny; I prayed that for so long,” she said, adding that she believes things happen for a reason. “God has an ultimate plan and this has all been part of his plan. Now I can really see how he planned things out for me.

Their Catholic faith was a key factor in Brett and Deanna’s decision not to have an abortion when she became pregnant following her second year of college.“We were always totally against (abortion),” she said, adding that putting their baby up for adoption was also not a consideration. “My mother always said, ‘You make your bed, you sleep in it.’ I knew premarital sex was wrong, but for whatever reason (I) did. I had made my bed and I knew I would keep the baby,” she said.

“All the stuff we’ve been through over the years has molded us into two different people. For herself, Deanna said she’s convinced the power of prayer has helped her family. “Brett is a completely different person and I can see the power of prayer in just that. It’s changed our lives, our family. I still pray for him for a lot of different reasons and I pray for his protection (on the football field) each week,” she said. “I find myself praying a lot, when I get up in the morning, when I’m driving. I did not always allow God to be in every decision I made in the past, and I realize the ones he wasn’t a part of, were probably not good decisions.”

St. Teresa of Avila - Woman of Faith & Perseverance - Doctor of the Church

2007-10-15T07:34:00.001-04:00

Today we celebrate the feast of the great Carmelite mystic, St. Teresa of Avila. A while back I was complaining about having such a rough day, a friend told me a great story about Teresa.

One day, Teresa was having an important meeting with her Bishop. As she prepared herself for the meeting, she put on her best habit. On her way to the meeting, she was caught in a powerful rain storm. After much thunder and lightning, the horse became frightened and caused her carriage to tip over. Teresa landed in a muddy pool of water. She immediately looked up to heaven and said, "Lord, why do you love me so much?"

Teresa was born in Avila, Spain in 1515. She entered the Carmelite order and despite much opposition, made great progress in instituting reforms. She wrote many books on sublime doctrine which resulted from the fruit of her own sense of spirituality and prayer life

The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer.

Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer. A holy woman, a womanly woman.

Teresa was a woman "for God," a woman of prayer, discipline and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her own conversion was no overnight affair; it was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical and graceful. A woman of prayer; a woman for God.

Teresa was a woman "for others." Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. (taken from American Catholic)

Teresa is a wonderful example of how if one has faith and perseverance, they can do great things for Christ.

Depression - the most common and serious brain disease in America.

2007-10-14T20:28:00.000-04:00

I was surprised to learn that more than 23 million people in the United States suffer from Depression. The social aspects of the Gospel compel us to minister to those in need. Often we think (and should think) of the homeless, the handicapped, the aged and the ailing.

I wonder how many of us minister to those suffering from depression. How many of can recognize when our family members, our co-workers and members of our faith community suffer from this dreaded disease?

The Daily Herald (Chicago) reports: "Winston Churchill called it the black dog. While in the throes of it, Abraham Lincoln described himself as "… the most miserable man living," adding that if his feelings of despondency were "equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth." Mike Wallace said it made him feel "lower than a snake's belly."

Women experience depression at twice the rate of men. Depression often occurs late in life, and only 10 percent of these sufferers ever receive treatment. Suicide is more common among senior citizens than among the population as a whole, and two-thirds of those deaths are attributed to untreated or undiagnosed depression.

One person who had struggled with depression for most of his life described it as trying to walk up a steep hill on useless legs, using crutches, while pretending that your legs work just fine.

Unbidden and invisible, depression is an equal-opportunity illness, arriving on the heels of grief, major illness or times of stress, or because it is an unspoken family legacy. Depression is a thief that robs you of your life until you enlist help. Trying to kick depression on your own is like trying to talk yourself out of a heart attack.

That's what Jean found when she sought help during her second bout with depression. Menopause catapulted Jean, who is using an alias, into her first episode of depression. Medication worked, but after a series of personal losses, including her parents' deaths and changes at work, she was quick to recognize that that unwanted guest had returned. Enlisting help from the Behavioral Health Services of Central DuPage Hospital, Jean went into an outpatient program where she spent five days a week for a month in therapy with mental health professionals.

Having worked in education for decades, Jean knew that the signs of depression are not to be ignored. Symptoms include feeling overwhelmed at even the simplest tasks; a persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood; feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness; loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, decreased energy; difficulty concentrating; difficulty remembering or making decisions; insomnia or oversleeping; early-morning awakening; loss of appetite or overeating; thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts; or headaches, digestive problems, pain or other physical disorders that don't respond to treatment.

"I was a professional so I had to force myself to go to work. In fact, everything I did, I had to force myself to do," recalled the 64-year-old suburban woman. "I couldn't concentrate, I didn't want to face the day. I just wanted to sleep. I had lost interest in most everything that had once been significant to me. It was easier for me to stay home than face people."

Now, a year later, Jean is getting re-acquainted with the strong, assertive woman she once was. And she's eager to tell others the importance of valuing ourselves enough to seek help when we need it.

Many people in our own back yard might be suffering from this disease. We all know people who have lost a loved one, might be facing some financial difficulty or dealing with a problem child. They might be the most vulnerable.

If someone you know has any of these symptoms, encourage them to seek the proper help immediately. Depression is no different from any other disease. Sometimes your friendship, care and concern can make a difference in some one's life who might experience some darkness in their life. Don't be afraid to share your light of Christ with them.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Thankfulness and Faith

2007-10-13T14:15:00.000-04:00

As parents we are always reminding our children to say “thank you” when they receive a gift or when someone pays them a nice complement. Why do we teach our children and perhaps need to remind ourselves to say thank you when appropriate?

First, a “thank you” acknowledges that a gift has been given freely. It shows that we appreciate what was given to us.

Secondly, a "thank you" establishes a unique relationship between the giver and receiver.

In today’s Gospel, as Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem for the last time, he was confronted by ten lepers. He probably did not know them. They cried out to him and asked for pity and unexpectedly they were healed of their leprosy.

Before their encounter with Jesus, these 10 lepers were bound together by their terrible disease, but in the end, they were separated by a cure.

Before we give the nine lepers a bad rap for not saying thank you, we need to understand that they were following the rules.

Leprosy is a terrible disease, physically and mentally. In Jesus' time, it forced those afflicted to live apart from their families and friends. Life must have been horrible and painful for them.

Before they could have been re-accepted into society, they needed to show themselves to the temple priests to certify that they were cured. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. After their certification, they went home to resume their lives.

We can relate to them. How do we act when we have been relieved of an illness? Do we run right back to the doctor to thank him for the antibiotics he prescribed to make us feel better? Probably not, we rush to resume our lives before we were sidetracked with an illness.

The Samaritan leper went one important step further. He connected the dots well. He recognized and appreciated Jesus for who Jesus was, he was more than a healer. He was the Son of God who came into this world to save us. His life would never be the same again.

The physical cure the lepers received is not the essence of the story. Jesus wants us to know that what ever faults and imperfections we have that separate us from Him, we too can be cured. He wants us too to experience the new life that comes by having faith in him.

Why did Jesus make a big deal about not receiving a thank you from the other nine? God certainly does not need our thanks.

He wants to teach us that Gratitude is necessary because it recognizes God as the giver of all life and helps make known God’s mighty deeds working in our lives.

When Jesus prayed, he always thanked His father for the gifts that were given him. Before he gave himself on Calvary, at the last Supper, He gave his Father thanks and praise.

In looking into our own lives, we can find ourselves like the 9 lepers.

When we forget to give thanks to God, we fail to recognize God as the source of all goodness.

No matter what trials and tribulations were are experiencing, no matter what sickness or health issues we are facing, no matter how severe our financial problems maybe - we have all been given the gift of Jesus – who has given us the gift of his own life so we can live with him forever.

We need to be more like the Samaritan leper – and run back to Jesus and thank him for the gift of himself.

We need to be like the Samaritan leper and recognize Jesus for who he really is – our Savior and Redeemer.

We need to be like the Samaritan leper and allow faith in Jesus transform our lives.

A grateful person is one who can see a gift and say, “This is a gift. Someone gave me something I did not deserve.”

When we come to the celebration of the Eucharist, we have an opportunity to run back to Jesus, thank him and transform our lives by His words and examples.

The 10 lepers in today’s gospel knew Jesus as a healer. All ten begged for mercy, all 10 hurried to the temple.

One of them, a Samaritan, the one least expected turned back and realized something more was happening than a physical cure.

He recognized Jesus as his Savior and Redeemer. His life changed forever

St. Luke connects thankfulness and faith. Being thankful to God says something about our faith. Our belief in God is strengthened each time we thank God because it acknowledges God as the true giver of all life.

For us, as for the Samaritan leper, salvation is revealed and experienced in our worship and our sentiments of thankfulness.

Francine and Enzo, today you come back to the place you started your married life together.

Your world of 25 years ago has changed, for better or worse, yet you come to thank God for all your blessings. Never forget that God is the source of all goodness, God is the source of ever lasting life.

My dear friends, let us pray that we may never fail to Thank God for the gift of life, for the Gift of His Son, for the Gift of His Holy Spirit and for the gift of each other.

Sr. Pauline Day, CSJ - A Gentle Woman

2007-10-11T21:41:00.000-04:00

The St. Ephrem Community and the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood are mourning the loss of a dear friend, sister and associate. This week, our dear Sister Pauline returned home to God.

A Josephite Sister for more than 50 years, Pauline was the director of our parish's Spirituality Center.

She was the backbone of our bereavement ministry, spiritual direction program, centering prayer sessions, faith formation programs and coordinator of all our Advent and Lenten Retreats and Prayer Services.

An upbeat member of our staff, Pauline could have always been counted on to roll up her sleeves and dive into any project that passed her way. She also led and coordinated small faith sharing groups and a book review club. She had a great sense of humor and was always willing to give a person a chance to express themselves.

Tonight, I had the opportunity to speak with our Pastor, Msgr. Peter Kain, who rushed home from his annual retreat. We fondly remembered her as a true "Gentle and prayerful woman" who touched the lives of so many people.

I first met Pauline over ten years ago when I started to become active in parish ministry. Without her knowing much about me, she offered me a chance to run a devotional series on the "Lives of the Saints." I never forgot the opportunity but more importantly, I was grateful for the confidence she expressed in me. Later on we worked together on the Liturgy Committee as well as the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion ministry.

She touched just about every aspect of parish life. Pauline was able to encourage and guide so many women and men to become active in lay ministry.

Since the end of last year, she battled her illness with great dignity. Never looking for sympathy, she desired only prayers. I was extremely grateful she was able to share my joy on Ordindation day this past May. (Photo: Pauline and I enjoying a moment at my ordination reception)

Although we are all going to miss her, her prayerful and dedicated spirit is alive and well in our community. Please remember Pauline, her family and her Sisters in your prayers. "Requiescat in pace"

Muslim leaders extend an olive branch and want to give peace a chance.

2007-10-11T20:07:00.000-04:00

Perhaps our prayer, "Lord make me an instrument of your peace" may finally take root in the hearts of all Christians and Muslims. While the world has waited for a unified response from the Muslim community, Newsweek happily reports a letter from Muslim Leaders to all Christians has been well received.

"Getting religious leaders to agree on anything is notoriously difficult. So this morning’s announcement—that 138 of the world’s most powerful Muslim clerics, scholars and intellectuals from all branches of Islam (Sunni and Shia, Salafi and Sufi, liberal and conservative) had come together to write a letter to the world’s Christian leaders—is being hailed as something of a miracle.

In a display of unprecedented unity, the letter—which calls for peace between the world’s Christians and Muslims—is signed by no fewer than 19 current and former grand ayatollahs and grand muftis from countries as diverse as Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq. It is addressed to Christianity’s most powerful leaders, including the pope, the archbishop of Canterbury and the heads of the Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist churches, and, in 15 pages laced with Qur’anic and Biblical scriptures, argues that the most fundamental tenets of Islam and Christianity are identical: love of one (and the same) God, and love of one’s neighbor.

On this basis, the letter, entitled “A Common Word Between Us and You,” reasons that harmony between the two religions is not only necessary for world peace, it is natural. “As Muslims, we say to Christians that we are not against them and that Islam is not against them—so long as they do not wage war against Muslims on account of their religion, oppress them and drive them out of their homes … Our very eternal souls are all at stake if we fail to sincerely make every effort to make peace,” the letter reads. “It’s an astonishing achievement of solidarity,” says David Ford, director of the Cambridge University’s Interfaith Program.

Early responses indicate that Christian leaders are welcoming the “Common Word” with open arms. In Britain the bishop of London told NEWSWEEK that the letter would “invite” young people to view the world as “a place where dialogue is possible, instead of a place full of threats.” America’s evangelical Christian leaders are being similarly positive. Rod Parsley, senior pastor of the World Harvest Church in Ohio, says, “My prayer is that this letter begins a dialogue that results in Muslims and Christians uniting around the love we have for each other as God’s children.”

The article states that the leaders are also in the process of sending a similar letter to the Jewish community as well. This is a great first step, let's continue to pray that strong dialogue with measurable actions continue to bring peace in our world. I love this quote from Aref Ali Nayed, a leading Islamic scholar, he said, "The world is a garden. We can focus on the weeds or we can focus on the fruit. And we are choosing to focus on the fruit.” Amen!

Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

2007-10-09T21:21:00.001-04:00

Well, if some have their way, the only Christmas decorations you will see this year are decorated trees, Frosty the Snowman, giant candy canes and Happy Holiday signs. Although, much success was achieved in having major retailers bring back their "Merry Christmas" signs last year, the war wages on.

The Catholic News Agency reports: A citizens' petition drive to re-establish a Christmas tradition has begun in Berkley, Michigan. Under pressure from the American Civil Liberties' Union, the Berkley City Council voted to remove a decades-old nativity display.

Berkley resident Georgia Halloran launched a successful petition drive to place a Charter Amendment on the November ballot. The amendment would overturn the city council's decision and would model the Nativity scene on a holiday display ruled constitutional by the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal court that governs Michigan.
Ms. Halloran described her efforts: “Christmas is a national holiday. And we’re not going to let ACLU threats dictate how we publicly celebrate it.”

The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, provided legal assistance to Halloran’s group. It also offered to represent the city without charge should it be sued by the ACLU.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, commented: “Despite all of their public rationalizations of why the Nativity should be removed from city property, it is clear the city council acted out of fear of an ACLU lawsuit. The council made the wrong decision, and Berkley citizens are working within the political system to correct that wrong.”

Remember, you can make a difference. Here are some helpful hints in keeping Christ in Christmas:

Celebrate Advent with a family Advent Wreath. Enhance the lighting ceremony with a weekly scriptural reading. Most religious bookstores sell small prayer booklets for this purpose.
Buy only Religious Christmas Cards.
Don't overspend on Christmas gifts, such practices de-emphasize the true meaning of Christmas.
Remember those less fortunate right in your own neighborhood or parish.
Get your children involved in shopping for your parish's giving tree.
Shop only in stores that are not afraid to recognize Christmas.
Enjoy simple, yet festive Christmas parties, add Christmas carols for enjoyment and entertainment.
Attend religious services as a family. A family tradition we enjoy is a Traditional dinner on Christmas Eve. After dinner the entire family and guests attends our Caroling concert and Midnight Mass.
Advent/Christmas season is a good time setting things straight with the Lord. Invite a friend or family member to church. For yourself, make it a point to go to Confession and spend more time in prayer.
Display a Nativity in a prominent place in your home.

Last year, I found these "Just Say Merry Christmas" bracelets. You can purchase them at this site: Operation: Just say Merry Christmas.

Irish Bishops Focus on Greater Lay Involvement

2007-10-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

For generations Ireland was fertile ground for booming vocations. Back in the early sixties, it was not uncommon for parochial schools to be staffed by women and men religious coming from the Emerald Isle. Many parishes were staffed by Irish priests as well. Ireland was highly regarded for supplying many American cities with clergy and religious. All that is changing now. Ireland is having enough trouble keeping their own parishes adequately staffed.

The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference is calling for more lay responsibility in administering their parishes. In an effort to cope with dwindling numbers of priests and a rising age profile, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has set out a blueprint for the increased involvement of parishioners in the everyday running of parishes. There are currently 1,368 parishes staffed by 2,500 diocesan priests — a drop of 30% from 50 years ago.

Under the blueprint, Pastoral Councils: A Framework for Developing Diocesan Norms and Parish Guidelines, priests will retain responsibility to the bishop but it will signal the end of the ‘one-man show’ operated in many small parishes. The plan includes:

* The establishment of pastoral councils, made up of groups of no more than 15 lay people who will serve a limited term.

* Councils to identify the challenges facing the parish and report once a year to the bishop.

* Recruitment of specialist people to provide skills for managing and organising parish affairs.

* Establishment of a structure to listen to views and complaints of parishioners.

* Ensuring the policies of the parish are implemented.

Sr Anne Codd, spokes-woman for the Bishops’ Commission on Pastoral Renewal, which is steering the reform agenda, said the problem was not just the dwindling number of priests but the traditional lack of involvement by parishioners. “There is a view I have expressed in the recent past that even now we still have too many priests in Ireland.

We got used to a way of operating within the Church where because we had plenty of priests, lay people did not have to get involved. “It was all very comfortable for us non-ordained people to sit back and accept the roles of pay, pray and obey. We did not have to take this responsibility in the way we are called to do now,” she said.

Sr Codd said the Church does not expect seamless reforms across the board and it is important people are not rushed into changes before they are ready. “I don’t pretend for one minute that this is an easy transition because it is a redefining of roles. We are turning over a way of doing things that goes back 400 years and it will take time and effort and we will lose some things along the way,” she said.

(photo taken from the classic film, "Going My Way" with Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald.)

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a father's stem cells provide new life for son with a rare disease.

2007-10-07T22:13:00.000-04:00

Who said Catholics are against Stem Cell research? Well, the media would have you believe that were true. The fact is, the Catholic Church is against the use of embryonic (stem cells taken from aborted embryos) stem cells for any purpose. Use of adult stem cells is not an issue.

Catholic Online reports: Three-year-old Andrew Mueting of Dodge City is a bright, happy-go-lucky, energetic little boy. But when he was 4 months old, doctors gave him a bleak prognosis.

Born with malignant infantile osteopetrosis, an exceedingly rare blood disorder that affects approximately 20 U.S. babies a year, Andrew was expected to spend his few years of life fighting anemia and infections, struggling with weak bones and eventual blindness and deafness.

Now, thanks to a new procedure that utilized his father's adult stem cells, Andrew is expected to live a long, healthy life with few ill effects.

Because the disease is so rare, there are only a few facilities in the country that treat it. One is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. It was there that Mueting learned of a machine created by a German scientist that would remove the T-cells from adult stem cells. T-cells can lead the body to reject the new, life-saving cells.

With the new treatment in mind – the only hope Andrew had for a cure – the Muetings moved temporarily to Memphis.

Andrew then spent more than 50 days in a medically induced coma and nearly another month in intensive care. The Muetings never left Memphis during those difficult days -- days made much easier by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's unique ability to help families.

"St. Jude provided us temporary housing," Mueting said. "They even have a 'parent room' with a couchlike bed right in the hospital. That's where one of us stayed every night while the other slept in Andrew's room."

St. Jude also removes the stress of worrying about how families are going to pay the bills; the Muetings were able to concentrate entirely on their child.

"St. Jude is kind of different," Mueting explained. "They bill the insurance company, but whatever insurance doesn't pay, they don't require from the patient family. They took care of our housing and helped with the meals. We were well taken care of."

It has been more than two years since the Muetings brought their son home from the hospital. During that time, the family has made close to 20 trips back to Memphis for follow-up care, and has devoted much time to helping Andrew fully recover through physical, occupational, speech and vision therapies.

Andrew Mueting's cure is one of many performed at St. Jude's Hospital. Check this website out if you want to learn more about Stem Cell research from a Catholic perspective.

Bishop Murphy directs a parish priest to return the Blessed Sacrament to the main body of the church.

2007-10-02T22:08:00.000-04:00

Who hasn't noticed how disrespectful the faithful behave before, during and after First Holy Communion celebrations in church? From across the ocean, Fr. Tim Finigan (Hermeneutic of Continuity) noticed how Bishop Murphy in the Diocese of Rockeville Center responded.

"The good Bishop then said that in his view a major reason for this (irreverence in church) was that the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in a chapel separate from the main body of the Church. He directs the parish priest to return the Blessed Sacrament to the main body of the Church and suggests that the obvious place would be in the centre of the reredos in the place which is clearly set up to have a tabernacle.

He also asks the parish priest to educate the people in reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.Nowadays, the behaviour of people before major celebrations such as Confirmation and first Communion can be a challenge to the parish priest. It is certainly helpful to explain that the Blessed Sacrament is present in the Church and that we believe that this is the living presence of Christ. Before first Communion Mass in my parish, I lead the Rosary.

Confirmation is normally OK - the recipients are older and the people who come tend to be practising Catholics. (Although some of them need to be helped to understand that the Church is a place for prayer, not trivial conversation.)"

Personally, I prefer the tabernacle in the center of the church. Placing our Lord, front and center highlights our belief that He is the center of our life. Wonder why so few believe in the real presence? Putting our Lord off in a corner or in the back of the church or in some out of the way chapel raises one important question: "Sir, where have you taken my Lord."

Conscientous people less likely to be affected by Alzehiemer's Disease

2007-10-01T21:46:00.000-04:00

There is not a family in the United States that has not been affected one way or another by Alzheimer's disease. You would be surprised to know that when the Rush Medical Center of Chicago wanted to conduct their study, they chose no other than nuns, priests and brothers as their subjects. Their findings are fascinating.

Reuters reported: "People who lead a good clean life -- those who are conscientious, self-disciplined and scrupulous -- appear to be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said on Monday. The finding is the latest from a long-running study of nearly 1,000 Catholic nuns, priests and brothers by Robert Wilson of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The study appeared in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Wilson and colleagues defined conscientiousness in the study as people who control their impulses and are goal-directed. These people are often considered dependable.

People who were highly conscientious -- those in the 90th percentile with scores of 40 or higher, had an 89 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who ranked in the 10th percentile, with a score of 28 or lower. The researchers also found that conscientiousness was linked with a slower rate of cognitive decline and a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment, a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

Why conscientious people are less prone to Alzheimer's is not clear, but Wilson and colleagues suggested it may be because conscientious people tend to be more resilient, making them better able to cope with difficulties.

Such people also tend to have a fair measure of success in school and work, they said."These factors might lessen the adverse consequences of negative life events and chronic psychological distress, which have been associated with risk of dementia in old age," the authors wrote.

According to the World Health Organization, about 18 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease, a brain-wasting condition marked by memory loss and confusion that becomes so severe patients lose the ability to care for themselves."

St. Theresa and Her Little Way

2007-09-30T21:41:00.000-04:00

Life can present us with many struggles, especially those discerning the will of God. Theresa, since she was a young child struggled with illness and her vocation. She had to make an appeal to the pope himself to be accepted at a young age in the Carmelite convent.

In her own words, "Since my longing for martyrdom was powerful and unsettling, I turned to the epistles of St. Paul in the hope of finally finding an answer. By chance the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians caught my attention, and in the first section I read that not everyone can be an apostle, prophet or teacher that the Church is composed of a variety of members, and that the eye cannot be the hand. Even with such answer revealed before me, I was not satisfied and did not find peace.

I persevered in the reading and did let not my mind wander until I found this encouraging theme: Set your desires on the greater gifts. And I will now show you the way which surpasses all others. "

A Carmelite Priest, Fr. John Russell of the Society of St. Theresa defines her little way. What is the meaning of "the little way" of St. Therese? It is an image that tries to capture her understanding of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, of seeking holiness of life in the ordinary and the everyday. St. Therese based “her little way” on two fundamental convictions: 1. God shows love by mercy and forgiveness and 2. She could not be “perfect” in following the Lord. St. Therese believed that the people of her time lived in too great fear of God’s judgment. The fear was stifling and did not allow people to experience the freedom of the children of God. St. Therese knew from her life that God is merciful love; many scripture passages in the Old and New Testaments bore out that truth.

She loved the maternal images for God in the Old Testament and the love of God for us in Jesus Christ. In fact, St. Therese once wrote that she could not understand how anyone could be afraid of a God who became a child. She also knew that she would never be perfect.

Therefore, she went to God as a child approaches a parent…with open arms and a profound trust.

St. Therese translated "the little way" in terms of a commitment to the tasks and to the people we meet in our everyday lives. She took her assignments in the convent of Lisieux as ways of manifesting her love for God and for others. She worked as a sacristan by taking care of the altar and the chapel; she served in the refectory and in the laundry room; she wrote plays for the entertainment of the community. Above all, she tried to show a love for all the nuns in the community. She played no favorites; she gave of herself even to the difficult members. Her life sounds so routine and ordinary, but it was steeped in a loving commitment that knew no breakdown. It is called a “little way” precisely by being simple, direct, yet calling for amazing fortitude and commitment.

In living out her life of faith she sensed that everything that she was able to accomplish came from a generous love of God in her life. She was convinced that at the end of her life she would go to God with empty hands. Why? Because all was accomplished in union with God.

Catholics and other Christians have been attracted to St. Therese’s style. Her “little way” seems to put holiness of life within the reach of ordinary people. Live out your days with confidence in God’s love for you. Recognize that each day is a gift in which your life can make a difference by the way you choose to live it. Put hope in a future in which god will be all and love will consume your spirit. Choose life, not the darkness of pettiness and greed. St. Therese knew the difference love makes by allowing love to be the statement she made each day of her life.

Like St. Theresa, may our hearts and souls yearn for God and receive the courage to follow his will in our everyday aspects of life. St. Theresa, pray for us!

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - God's word - a warning and a challenge.

2007-09-29T22:38:00.000-04:00

After listening to today’s Gospel, some of us would react with a familiar cliché:

“The rich man got what he deserved or what goes around comes around.”

Poor Lazarus would never make it on one of today’s reality TV programs. He’s poor, unattractive, starving and covered with sores.

Yet, although we are fascinated with the rich, handsome, beautiful and famous, we still can sympathize with Lazarus after hearing this story.

Sympathy my dear friends is not what Jesus expects of us.

This Gospel story is just as much a story of about how we live our lives here on earth than it is about what happens when we finally meet our creator.

The road to heaven is a long, winding and bumpy road here on earth. Often detours are placed in our paths that cause to go out of the way before we reach our final destination.

Although wealth and comfort in this life are attractive, in the face of eternity, it means absolutely nothing.

What really counts is living faithfully now so we are on the right side of the road getting to heaven.

As a child, I remember a great Uncle named Angelo. Angelo was intelligent, very successful and lived life to the fullest. Unfortunately Uncle Angelo lacked one thing, he lacked faith in God. He had a sister in law, named Mary who was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, Aunt Mary had no medical insurance. The entire family was asked to help pay for her chemotherapy. Uncle Angelo was the only one who refused. He said, “Why should give money to someone who is going to die anyway?”

As a young teenager, I could not believe someone, let alone a relative of mine would do such a thing. But he did.

The rich man’s problem is not his wealth. Like the complacent in Zion, the rich man is unconcerned for Lazarus. Uncle Angelo was unconcerned for Aunt Mary. The Chasm or Gap which separated the Rich man from Lazarus was already present while they were both living.

This parable is blunt: how we spend our afterlife is determined how we live here on earth.

Most of us are quite familiar with Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol.

Remember the familiar scene when Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s partner returns from the dead to tell Ebenezer Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits. After his night with the spirits, Scrooge wakes up and changes his life.

He no longer pursues wealth and power, he pursues happiness, extends compassion to Tiny Tim and his family. We are not going to be given the same opportunity as Scrooge.

In today’s parable, Jesus is asking us to bridge the gap of eternal life with him. The parable is a wake-up call for all of us. It is like the sound of an alarm clock that wakes us to a very important day in our lives—today. The future hasn’t happened yet.

The Rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s house to warn his family. My dear friends, not only do we have Moses and the prophets. We have Jesus Christ who returned from the dead. He promises us eternal life if we believe in him and live the Gospels he preached. What more proof do we need?

Today’s Gospel urges us to seize the present opportunity to hear and obey God’s word today and not to put it off for some future day.

We should make an account of all the gaps that exist in our lives.

Today we have friends who are troubled, lying at our doors that need to be comforted.

Today, there are homeless women and men lying at our doors begging for a meal.

Today, we have family who are lying at our doors that need financial assistance.

Today, there are people of diversity lying at our doors being mistreated.

God’s word spoken today is both a warning and a challenge.

I would like to end this homily with a quote from A prominent French Quaker Missionary named Stephen Grellet who lived in North America around the late 18th and early 19th century:

"I shall pass this way but once.

Any good, therefore, that I can do

or kindness that I can show to any human being

let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again."

Feast of the Archangels - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

2007-09-28T22:37:00.000-04:00

Archangels are believed to be messengers of God sent to direct, guide, defend, and protect us. Only the three we reverently remember on this feast day – Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael -- are named in the Old as well as the New Testament.

Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides.

Before Vatican II, the famous prayer to St. Michael was prayed at the end of each mass.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host by the Divine Power of God — cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Given the current state of the world, Pope John Paul II urged the faithful to recite this prayer daily. St. Michael is the patron of police officers It was only recently that I discovered that Saint Michael was more than the defender against Satan. He is also attributed with welcoming and escorting souls to heavens.

The Angel Gabriel is the angel sent as God's messenger to Daniel to explain his vision (Dan. 8: 16-26) and prophecy (Dan. 9: 21-27). Saint Gabriel was the angel sent to foretell the birth of John the Baptist to John's father, Zechariah (Luke 1:11-21) and was also the angel sent to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of God (Luke 1:26-38).

Angel Raphael was sent by God to minister to Tobias and Sara and accompanied young Tobias into Media disguised as a man named Azarias. His name in Hebrew means "God heals," and he is identified as the angel who "healed" the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal Enoch (10:7) and who moved the waters of the healing sheep-pool (John 5: 1-4). He is one of only three archangels identified by name along with Michael and Gabriel in Sacred Scripture and has been venerated for ages in both the Jewish and the Christian traditions.

Bury a statue of St. Joseph to sell a house?

2007-09-28T08:16:00.000-04:00

I am all for holding on to traditions and devotional practices but this one for me goes a bit too far. What's even more mind boggling is that Catholic Religious Article shops actually sell St. Joseph kits.

Not sure where this custom originated from but Catholics do bury religious articles when they are no longer in use. To go out and purchase a brand new statue and bury seems more sacrilegious and pure superstition.

Many claim it works, I believe that St. Joseph has other more important things to do than to delve in the real estate market.

Norb Pytel in Virginia had this to say, The idea was simple. Bury a statue of St. Joseph in your front yard, and he will help you sell your home. Since he was going to visit his mother anyway, Pytel headed back to Chicago, statue in hand, to give it a shot. The house sold
in six weeks.

"Nobody buys houses around Christmastime," Pytel said. "But we put it up in January, and when we went back in February it had been sold."

When Alexa Shmidheiser decided to sell her Augusta County home five years ago, she grabbed the St. Joseph statue from her Christmas nativity.

"I had lost the manger, so all I had was Mary and Joseph," she said. "So I took the statue and buried him upside down."

It took Shmidheiser more than nine months to sell her home, but that was her intent. Because she had so much work to do on her home, selling the house any sooner would have been inconvenient.

"I was anticipating it would take three years, and I needed that time to prepare," she said. "It was a real taste of "Thank you God, that was good timing." But for every believer, there is a skeptic, and some Realtors say it's just not possible.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a myth," said Century 21 Premier agent Brooke Dickerman. "How could it make a difference?"

Whether St. Joseph statues have a direct effect on how fast a home sells is irrelevant for many homeowners. The relief of putting the situation into some one else's hands is all that matters.

If you are thinking about selling your home, prayer is all that is needed. St. Joseph as well as any other saint can be your intercessor before God. Most of all, pray: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. "

St. Vincent de Paul - The Champion of God's poor.

2007-09-26T19:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a person can be best described by their own words. Vincent de Paul has written: "Even though the poor are often rough and unrefined, we must not judge them from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have received. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor. It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible.

If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer. Do not become upset or feel guilty because you interrupted your prayer to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave for such service."

Vincent was a man who ministered to the poor in France during the seventeenth century. He was the founder of the Congregation of the Mission (priests) also known as the Vincentians. He also "established confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick of each parish. From these, with the help of St. Louise de Marillac, came the Daughters of Charity, "whose convent is the sickroom, whose chapel is the parish church, whose cloister is the streets of the city."

He organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. He was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries." (American Catholic)

The most distinguishing legacy of this saint is the society that bears his name. Today, countless parishes have a Saint Vincent de Paul society that stands ready to assist those in need. "The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. It is this personalized involvement that makes the work of the Society unique.

This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation, or often through direct dollar or in-kind service. An essential precept of the Society's work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are served. The Society recognizes that it must assume, also, a role of advocacy for those who are defenseless or voiceless. Some 12 million persons are helped annually by Vincentians in the United States. "

Cristo Rey Schools are a Beacon of hope for Inner City Education.

2007-09-25T21:04:00.000-04:00

Catholic schools have been battling enrollment/tuition issues for years. Each year, parishes, including those in middle to upper middle class neighborhoods are forced to consider closures and consolidations. What about our schools in inner city neighborhoods? When was the last time you heard of a new school opening?

Well, Christ the King Preparatory School in Newark New Jersey, is one of seven new Cristo Rey schools to open throughout the United States this year. Christ the King took the first step on its journey to provide an innovative approach to Catholic inner-city education. Father John Foley, S.J., the president and founder of the national Cristo Rey network, attended the opening of Christ the King on Sept. 4 and delivered the homily at the inaugural liturgy for the school, offering thoughts on the road map for this mission.

"This is a journey we are all taking together and no one is sure of the way," he said during his homily, addressing students, parents, teacher, trustees, administrators and officials from the Archdiocese of Newark. "Where will this road take us? How will we know where the Lord is leading us? We will know when we see Christ the King bringing good news to those who need to hear it the most in this city. We will know when people, who thought there was no future, begin to see that opportunities do exist. We will know when students find a reason for coming to school and say that this is where I'm going to become the person I want to be."

Like other Cristo Rey schools, the opening of Christ the King will be a beacon that signals "we are no longer willing to tolerate the vast waste of talent in our inner cities," Father Foley declared.

He said the launch of Christ the King is an encouraging milestone to achieve the goal of the national network's "12 by 12" campaign: 12,000 students in Cristo Rey schools by the year 2012. Currently there are about 5,000 students attending the nation's 19 Cristo Rey schools.

The Archdiocese of Newark sponsors Christ the King, which is endorsed by The Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth and The Marist Brothers of the Schools. The school utilizes the Corporate Internship Program (CIP) for its students, which is based on the national Cristo Rey model first developed in Chicago in 1996. Under the CIP, Christ the King students will go to school four days a week; one day a week they will work at entry-level jobs at corporate offices in the Newark area.

Check out the Cristo Rey Network for more information.

St. Padre Pio - "Pray, hope and don't worry"

2007-09-23T22:08:00.000-04:00

Today (September 23rd), the church celebrates the feast day of one of it's newer canonized saints, St. Padre Pio. Padre Pio is no stranger to most of us. The humble man, a Capuchin priest from Pietrelcina, Italy became the curiosity of the world when he received the stigmata, the holy wounds of Christ in 1918.

Padre Pio not only suffered the physical pain of the stigmata. As you will soon read, his popularity required him to live most of his life in seclusion. He truly suffered the wounds of Christ every day of his life.

"Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned.

Padre Pio saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a fine hospital was built on nearby Mount Gargano. The idea arose in 1940; a committee began to collect money. Ground was broken in 1946. Building the hospital was a technical wonder because of the difficulty of getting water there and of hauling up the building supplies. This "House for the Alleviation of Suffering" has 350 beds." (American Catholic)

I would like to share with you, a favorite prayer of Padre Pio:

Padre Pio’s Prayer After Holy Communion

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You;
You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength,
that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You,
a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes,
death, judgment and eternity approaches.
It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that,
I need You.

It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death,
I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for,
Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit,
because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.
Amen.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Who do you we serve?

2007-09-22T16:31:00.000-04:00

Times have certainly not changed since the days of Jesus. People still cling to wealth as if it is their only god. When it comes to money and power, we are always clever in digging ourselves out of the latest ditch. Luke tells us of the dishonest steward who becomes quite creative in making good on squandering his master's property.

The last few weeks the gospel writers talk a great deal about discipleship. What does it take to be a follower of Jesus? Today's Gospel sets the stakes a bit higher. Jesus wants to know, who do we serve God or Mammon?

I remember as a child hearing this gospel and was not sure what or who mammon was. So here it is, Wikipedia says mammon is riches regarded as an object of worship and greedy pursuit; wealth as an evil. So there you have it, plain and simple.

Obtaining materialistic things are not a problem. Wealth and power become evil when we allow the pursuit and or possession of money to control our lives. Our pre-occupation with money and power often takes control of our minds and hearts that we have no care or regard for those less fortunate.

God has given each and every one of us different gifts and talents. Some are certainly more fortunate than others. Some have greater opportunities than others. To paraphrase Jesus, " those whom much is given, much is expected."

We all must share the responsibility of taking care of our lesser sisters and brothers. Today's Old Testament reading warns us never to advance ourselves at the expense of others.

I hear so many stories of successful and wealthy individuals who are committed to helping others. That's wonderful. Not all of us are rich and wealthy. Jesus was not talking to a select group. He is talking to you and me.

It's easy to reason, "the rich have a lot of money, they can afford to give to charity." The responsibility belongs to each of us. Mother Teresa once said, "If you can not feed a 100 people, then just feed one."

As we continue our gospel meditation today, let's think about the mammon in our lives. Let's think about the ways we can become clever and do great things for God and our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

St. Matthew - Evangelist & Martyr

2007-09-20T21:21:00.000-04:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew. Matthew as you may recall was named Levi, the tax collector before he encountered Jesus.

Matthew, was one of the four Evangelists, along with Mark, Luke and John. In his Gospel, he paints Jesus as a lawgiver and Messiah, the great teacher of Israel.

Matthew wrote primarily for a Jewish Audience. The most plausible interpretation is that Matthew was addressed to a once strongly Jewish Christian church that had become increasingly Gentile in composition.

This Gospel has two focuses, Jesus the Christ and the near approach of the Kingdom of God which Jesus proclaims. The two themes are closest together at the beginning of the Gospel, where Jesus is set forth as royal Son of God and Immanuel, God with us.

Matthew tells us that Jesus is given all divine authority as Son of Man over the kingdom of God, in heaven and on earth. The kingdom of God is the great hope, prayer and proclamation which unify the entire Gospel.

American Catholic tells us that "Matthew got Jesus in trouble by having a sort of going-away party at his house. The Gospel tells us that "many" tax collectors and "those known as sinners" came to the dinner.

The Pharisees were still more badly shocked. What business did the supposedly great teacher have associating with such immoral people? Jesus' answer was, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners" (Matthew 9:12b-13).

Jesus is not setting aside ritual and worship; he is saying that loving others is even more important."

Jesus chose one of the foundations of the Church, a man others, judging from his job, thought was not holy enough for the position. But he was honest enough to admit that he was one of the sinners Jesus came to call. He was open enough to recognize truth when he saw him. "And he got up and followed him" (Matthew 9:9b).

As we reflect upon the life of St. Matthew, know that God loves each and everyone of us. All of us are eligible to partake in the ministry of Jesus. Like Matthew, may we welcome the Lord's invitation to "Come follow me." May we re-dedicate ourselves to proclaim God's word to those around us.

San Gennaro - the Patron Saint of Naples

2007-09-19T04:51:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Januarius, more commonly known as St. Gennaro. His name is most associated with a traditional street feast held annually here in New York. Tourists as well as home town natives, especially Italians are quite fascinated with the 11 day festival that is held in "Little Italy"(Mulberry St.) near the church of the Most Precious Blood (aka Church of San Gennaro).

But there is more to San Gennaro than festivals, cannolis and zeppoles. When immigrant Italians (Neapolitans) settled there in the early part of the 20th century, their custom of honoring San Gennaro was quickly adapted in their new home land and has been celebrated continously for 80 years.

"San Gennaro never made headlines during his lifetime. Very little is known about him except that he was bishop of Benevento, Italy, and died a martyr in 305 A.D., during the persecution spearheaded by Emperor Diocletian.

Actually, the zealous prelate seems to have signed his death warrant when he risked the wrath of local pagan officials by visiting the deacons Sosso and Proculo and the laymen Eutichete and Acuzio in jail. The warden observing this stranger trying to comfort the Christian prisoners naturally concluded that he must be a Christian. Therefore he too must be shut up behind bars.

Shortly afterwards, the proconsul Timothy had Gennaro arrested and clapped into jail. Subsequently he underwent various forms of torture, without wavering in resolution to remain loyal to Christ.

The proconsul's agents then had the generous confessor of the faith thrown headlong into a furnace, fully convinced that the flames would reduce him to ashes. By the grace of God he came through unscathed. Furious, the agents gave themselves no rest until their victim had been sentenced to be beheaded."

Twice a year in Naples (September and May), vials holding the solidified blood of the saint are publicly shown. As the faithful gather, process and pray, they eagerly wait for the liquefaction of the Saint's blood to occur. Tradition holds, If the blood does not liquefy, Naples will experience a catastrophic event in the coming months.

In fact, disaster has struck on at least five occasions when the blood failed to liquefy, including in 1527 when tens of thousands of people died from the plague and in 1980 when 3,000 people were killed in an earthquake which devastated much of southern Italy.

The festival continues until September 24th.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep"

2007-09-15T20:38:00.000-04:00

Most of us are pretty well conditioned to hear bad news. The media bombards us with it on the evening news, in the newspapers and even on the Internet. For some reason we can’t get away from it and for some, we can’t get enough of it.

Often, when someone has something good to tell us, we need to have it repeated. It is almost as if we can not believe what we are hearing.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus repeats his message of forgiveness three times with the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son.

At first glance, these parables seem a bit ridiculous. Put yourself in place of the shepherd. Would you go crazy trying to find one lost sheep? I know I would be worried about what would happen to the other ninety nine.

How about the woman going crazy, turning the house upside down to find a lost coin? To us, this does not makes any sense.

A father welcoming back a son who squandered his inheritance. Many of us might say, pal, you made your bed, now lie in it.

Jesus teaches us much about forgiveness. It doesn't matter if the offense was intentional or consequential.

We must be willing to forgive even if it hurts.

God in the first reading relented punishment for Israel. It must have been hard for Him to accept the way the Israelites treated Him after all He had done for them.

The important message contained in today's readings is that God is always willing to welcome us back. If we do, there’s happiness in heaven. There is joy on the face of God. God never intended for us to be far from him. But by our human free will, by our weaknesses and our faults we tend to drift from him.

To understand Jesus, think about how we feel when one of our friends or loved ones turns away from us? How do we feel when they return? My dear brothers and sisters, God feels no different.

In the Second Reading, Paul shows us the way to a forgiving Jesus. Like Paul we must recognize our weaknesses. Contrary to the belief of the Pharisees and Scribes, Christ came into the world to save sinners. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the grace of Jesus, which is abundant, cleanses our souls.

Today, we celebrate Catechetical Sunday. It’s a time we recognize all those volunteers who help teach the faith to those who seek the truth about Christ and His church. Catechetical Sunday is also a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel as well as to rededicating himself or herself to this mission as a community of faith.

Today’s Gospel teaches us one way to witness for Christ – it requires us to accept the challenge of being a forgiving person. We must forgive those who have wronged us much the same way Christ forgives us.

Our Lady of Sorrows, comfort all mothers who have lost a child.

2007-09-14T22:15:00.000-04:00

Throughout the year, the Church recognizes many joyful feasts in honor of our Blessed Mother. With joy we celebrate her Immaculate Conception, her birth and her Assumption. Today, we turn our minds and hearts to her sorrow that she endured on the road to Calvary and at the foot of the Cross.

American Catholic tells us: The principal biblical references to Mary's sorrows are in Luke 2:35 and John 19:26-27. The Lucan passage is Simeon's prediction about a sword piercing Mary's soul; the Johannine passage relates Jesus' words to Mary and to the beloved disciple.

Many early Church writers interpret the sword as Mary's sorrows, especially as she saw Jesus die on the cross. Thus, the two passages are brought together as prediction and fulfillment.

St. Ambrose in particular sees Mary as a sorrowful yet powerful figure at the cross. Mary stood fearlessly at the cross while others fled. Mary looked on her Son's wounds with pity, but saw in them the salvation of the world. As Jesus hung on the cross, Mary did not fear to be killed but offered herself to her persecutors.

While meditating on Mary's sorrows, I could not help but think about and pray for my dear friend Rosemarie Graffagnino who lost her son tragically at the Deutche Bank building fire (near ground zero) a few weeks ago. Rosemarie and countless other mothers throughout the world have endured the same pain as our Holy Mother when they lost their child.

Today, when you pray to Our Lady of Sorrows, ask her to support Rosemarie and all mothers who are suffering from either the loss or sickness of their children.

"At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,

All his bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword has passed." (Stabat Mater)

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

2007-09-13T19:48:00.000-04:00

"We adore you O Christ and we praise you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world." This prayer composed by St. Francis of Assisi was recited every time he entered a church. Today, it is often recited as the opening prayer before each station of the cross.

To many it may seem odd that in the middle of September we celebrate the triumph of the Holy Cross, the instrument of our Lord's passion, our gateway to paradise.

Wikepedia notes: The feast commemorates the finding of the True Cross in 325 during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem by St. Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine I . The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross placed inside it.

In 614, that portion of the cross was carried away from the church by the Persians, and remained missing until it was recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628. The cross was returned to the church the following year after initially having been taken to Constantinople by Heraclius.

The date used for the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335. This was a two-day festival: although the actual Consecration of the church was on September 13, the cross itself was brought outside the church on September 14 so that the clergy and faithful could pray before it.

To be a follower of Jesus, we are reminded to pick up our own cross and follow him to Calvary.

All the trials and tribulations of everyday life comprise the wood of our own cross. I found this interesting quote on the Internet that is appropriate for our meditation today: "How splendid the cross of Christ! It brings life, not death; light, not darkness; Paradise, not its loss. It is the wood on which the Lord, like a great warrior, was wounded in hands and feet and side, but healed thereby our wounds. A tree has destroyed us, a tree now brought us life" (Theodore of Studios).

When you gaze upon the cross today, know in your heart how much Jesus really loves you!

Comedian Kathy Griffin's acceptance speech is blasphemous!

2007-09-12T21:07:00.000-04:00

The next time you want to be entertained by Kathy Griffin, think again. Kathy is drawing heavy criticism for her recent atheistic acceptance speech at the Prime time Emmy awards.

That content being what the Catholic League is calling the redheaded comic's "obscene and blasphemous" remarks upon hoisting her statuette.

"Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?" Griffin responded to E! News Tuesday.

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award," the oft-self-deprecating performer said last Saturday at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, where more than 60 less mainstream Emmys were handed out in anticipation of the main event this Sunday.

"I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. " "Suck it, Jesus, this award is my god now!"

In response to the Catholic League's condemnation of Griffin's "vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech," and in addition to the assumption that more protests could arise from other religious groups or similarly concerned citizens, the TV Academy has opted to cut Griffin's reverse shout-out.

"Kathy Griffin's offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast on Saturday night," a TV Academy spokesperson said in a statement to E! Online. Instead, "there will be an abbreviated version of [her] acceptance speech on the telecast." (E! Online is a division of E! Networks.)

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

“Mel Gibson. Michael Richards. Isaiah Washington. Imus. Jerry Lewis. Every time a celebrity offends a segment of the population, he pays a price, in one way or another. The question now is whether Kathy Griffin will pay a similar price for her outburst. And as we have learned, her verbal assault was calculated.

Freedom of speech and religion does not give anyone the right to insult an other's faith.

It's time that we Catholics and Christians let others know that such actions will not be tolerated.

Six Years later, We still remember those lost on September 11th.

2007-09-10T19:22:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, our parish community of St. Ephrem (Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn) gathered together once again in prayer with the nine families of those lost on September 11th. Although six years have passed, the sadness, the tears and broken hearts remain quite visible. Yet each family welcomes the chance to be together again and to pray for their loved ones. They are grateful for the community's expressions of love, sympathy and support.

The statue of Jesus you see to the left is the centerpiece of our Garden of Hope Memorial dedicated to them and all those who perished that day.

In 2002, a committee comprised of parishioners and 9/11 family members was formed. It was unanimous that all would receive great comfort knowing that our Our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was present that morning, leading his children home.

The statue is surrounded by tall evergreen trees and nine memorial plaques dedicated to: Richard Caggiano, Jude Safi, Robert Tipaldi, Charles Mauro, Maria LaVache, Dennis O'Berg, Donald Gavigan, Thomas Wise and Arturo Sererno. A tenth plaque is dedicated to all those who have died in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Below the statue of Jesus is another large plaque with the words from the prophet Isaiah. "I will never forget you, see in the palms of my hands I have written your name; your walls are every before me." Isaiah 49: 15-16

As the anniversary approaches each year, each of us can not forget where we were when these tragic events were unfolding. I like so many others witnessed these attacks first hand. My office was directly across the street from the Trade Center. When the first plane hit the North Tower, my office building shook with great force and an unforgettable sonic boom-like noise deafened our ears.

In disbelief we all starred and watched the second plane hit the south tower. It was only then we realized that our country was being attacked.

I too witnessed those desperate souls jumping from the buildings. I never in my entire life felt so helpless. All I could do was pray.

Today, let's pause and pray for those who have died and for their families that are still grieving. May we never forget those precious lives lost and may we all dedicate ourselves to a peaceful and secure world.

The following prayer was recited at our dedication ceremony:
Father in heaven, we look to you for peace in a world filled with anger. We look to you for hope in a world filled with despair. We look to you for love in a world filled with hatred.

May those who lost their lives find peace in your Kingdom. May families and friends left behind, find solace in Your love.

May a world shattered by these tragedies, find healing in your strength. O Merciful Lord, guide our future with Your wisdom. Bestow tranquility on our world. Bring compassion to our hearts. Amen.

This statue of Jesus holding the towers close to his heart was designed by the committee and sculptured by the world renown Demetz Statuary Company of Italy. It was dedicated September 2004. Since it was a gift to our 9/11 families, the statue's design has been copyrighted. Therefore, no photograph taken and no model or imitation of the statue can be reproduced for a profit.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2007-09-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Today, the church rejoices as it celebrates the birth of Mary, the Mother of our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated in the Church at least since the 8th Century.

The Church's calendar observes the birthdays of only two saints: Saint John the Baptist (June 24), and Mary, Mother of Jesus.

John the Baptist is considered especially sanctified even before his birth. His birth to Elizabeth and Zachariah is foretold in the first chapter of Luke, and it is also recorded (Lk 1:41) that Elizabeth felt the infant John "leap in her womb" when Mary approached her soon after the Annunciation.

The birth of Mary was also miraculous. She was conceived without sin as a special grace because God had selected her to become the mother of His Son (the feast of her Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8). The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, though generally believed throughout the Church for many centuries, was formally declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

There is nothing contained in Scripture about the birth of Mary or her parentage, though Joseph's lineage is given in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. The names of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, appear in the apocryphal "Gospel of James", a book dating from the 2nd Century AD, not part of the authentic canon of Scripture. According to this account, Joachim and Anna were also beyond the years of child-bearing, but prayed and fasted that God would grant their desire for a child.

According to one tradition, the house in which Mary was born in Nazareth is the same one in which the Annunciation took place. By another tradition, the Annunciation site is beneath the Crusader church of Saint Anna in Jerusalem, under a 3rd Century oratory known as the "Gate of Mary."

In celebrating the nativity of Mary, Christians anticipate the Incarnation and birth of her Divine Son, and give honor to the mother of Our Lord and Savior. (taken from Women for faith and family)

In honor of her birthday, let us pray: "Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. "

Saint Monica - A Role Model for Mothers and Wives

2007-08-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

St. Monica's life can sound a lot like our own. How many mothers today are concerned with the spiritual well being of their children? How many mothers are trapped inside abusive relationships? St. Monica understood these modern day issues all too well in her time. Monica's faith carried her through her crisis. She can help you with your own.

St. Monica's patience is truly admirable. Her persistence in prayer yielded many fruits for the early church. Monica cooperated with the will of God.

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his Baptism.

Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.

When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.

In Milan Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her. Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.

She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter, 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death. ( taken from American Catholic)

I'm Back!!

2007-08-25T22:40:00.000-04:00

My friends, please forgive my absence over the past week. As you may have noticed from my previous post, close friends of my family lost their only son in a terrible tragedy last week today. Fire fighter Joseph Graffagnino, a wonderful son, husband and father was killed along with his partner, Fire fighter Robert Beddia at the Deutche Bank building near Ground Zero.

Unfortunately, yet understandably, this event dampered my spirit that writing was just about impossible. Even today, I remain somewhat spiritually "dry" as I can't help but think about the family, especially Joseph's wife who has yet to tell her four year daughter that daddy will not be home anymore.

It was difficult to mourn the loss and at the same time, as a Deacon, minister to those who were grieving too. The family asked that I participate in the funeral rites. As a priest friend once told me, "Tony, don't worry about the ability to minister when tragedy strikes, through the grace of ordination, God gives you the strength to help those who need your assistance." How right he was.

How do you provide a prayerful spirit, when your plans are supervised by the Fire Department, the Mayor's office, secret service etc? Amidst the thousands of mourners who wanted to pay their respects, we were able to provide Joseph's family with some quiet prayerful moments during an evening vigil service the night before the funeral.

Throughout this ordeal, I was blest to meet so many wonderful people, family, friends, priests, ministers, rabbis and high ranking officials in the Fire Department. It was a pleasure as well as very comforting to work with them. Joseph's mother Rosemarie was a pillar of strength throughout this whole ordeal. Little did she realize, she ministered more to us than we could have ever ministered to her and her family.

As the city of New York struggles to find answers to why this tragedy occurred, I ask you for your continued prayers for Joseph and his family. If I may impose, say one for me too!

Thank you for your patience and understanding -
Dcn Tony

FF Joseph Graffagnino was more than a son to his mother, he was her best friend.

2007-08-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

This morning, I like so many New Yorkers learned of the tragic death of two of our bravest, FF Beddia and FF Graffagnino fighting a fire in the abandoned Deutche Bank Building destroyed on 9/11. Both Robert and Joseph survived the tragic events of that day only to loose their lives almost six years later.

This news hit close to home. Joseph's family are very active members of our parish community of St. Ephrem and close friends of my family. His mom Rosemarie is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and his Dad Joseph is the Head of our Usher's Society. They are extremely faith filled and always giving of their time to others. His mom Rosemarie is very devoted to St. Anthony of Padua and always assists me in promoting his feast celebrated on June 13th.

A parish priest, my wife and I visited the family this morning, all we could offer was our presence, our prayers and our love. Words were not important. Hugs was what they needed. Rosemarie is hurting deeply, she said, "Joseph was more than a son, he was my best friend. I don't blame God, I need Him now more than ever." Family members and neighbors had nothing but wonderful things to say about Joseph. One neighbor said, "He was a good kid who always went out of his way to say hello."

Tomorrow would have been Joseph's 34th birthday. While the family is coping with this tragedy, Joseph's sister Maria is scheduled to deliver her child on the same day. Joseph leaves behind his wonderful wife Linda, and their two children, Mia Rose and Joseph. I ask all of you to pray for Joseph, Robert and their families. May God grant them eternal peace.

St. Bernard of Clarivaux - The Voice of Conscience, A Man of the 12th Century

2007-08-19T20:10:00.001-04:00

Some times a person's own words can best describe them. St. Bernard has said “In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal.”

Bernard was a man of many talents. Deeply devoted to the Blessed Mother, he was able to accomplish great things for Christ and His Church. At the age of twenty, he entered the Cistercian Order and was followed by many members of his family. He was an adviser to popes, a preacher, defender of the faith, a reformer of his monastic order, a Scripture scholar and theologian.

One of his main accomplishments as an arbitrator and counselor was to settle disputes. He was primarily responsible for intervening on behalf of the Roman Pontiff Innocent II in a dispute and schism caused by the anti popes Anacletus and Victor.

Bernard was also a composer of religious songs, the most famous and my favorite, "O Sacred Head Surrounded" (Passion Chorale)

Bernard’s life in the Church was more active than we can imagine possible today. His efforts produced far-reaching results. But he knew that they would have availed little without the many hours of prayer and contemplation that brought him strength and heavenly direction. His life was characterized by a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. His sermons and books about Mary are still the standard of Marian theology. (American Catholic)

The Cost of Following Jesus - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2007-08-18T22:31:00.000-04:00

It’s hard to believe the words just spoken by Jesus. Seems a bit out of character, don’t you think?

Is this the same Jesus who last week told us: Do not be afraid?

Is this the same Jesus who several weeks ago told us: what ever household you enter say, “Peace to this Household?”

Is this the same Jesus who after the Resurrection greeted his friends with “Peace be with you?”

My dear Brothers and Sisters – It is the same Jesus.

Jesus is not contradicting himself. He does not go back on His word. He does offer his peace to us and commands us to offer peace to everyone we encounter.

We can only have true inner peace when we are in communion with Him. The peace that Jesus brings is the harmony between God and all humankind. Jesus, by his life, death and resurrection, restored all the brokenness in the world caused by sin.

Jesus is not talking about the Peace He offers us. The essence of today’s readings is the hardship and division that will be endured by those who are truly committed to bringing Jesus’ message to the world.

Jesus warns us of the high cost of discipleship, the high cost of friendship with Him.

He desired that the world would have been set ablaze with fire of his love. If that be the case, our world would not suffer the effects of hatred, greed and dishonesty.

Enemies would no longer hate and strive to kill each other.
Families would not be broken and separated.
The poor would be cared for and comforted.

We all know that prophets are never accepted in their own town, in their own time. The crowds, those who want to keep the status quo always want to silence them.

Look at what happened to the Prophet Jeremiah in the first reading? He was left for dead in the cistern. Ironically, Jeremiah is saved and so are we if we choose to live our lives according to Jesus.

Whether we realize it or not, we have all been affected by division and strife that resulted from our choice to follow Jesus.

Don’t you think some of your family members believe you’re crazy for getting up early on Sunday morning and going to church?

Perhaps you have co-workers who think you are wasting your time when you give of yourself in church ministry?

Don’t you think some of your friends find it odd that in this day and age, you believe in God when they believe the origins of creation can be explained scientifically?

Don’t you think some parents are not happy when one of their children decides to pursue a religious vocation?

Throughout our church history, many like the four missionary women in El Salvador, whose portrait is enshrined near the back of the Church were called to follow Jesus to the point of death.

Recently, my company was sponsoring a major fund raising event for the Christopher Reeves Foundation for Spinal Cord injuries. A great cause to be involved in, every one was eager to participate and raise some funds.

After a bit of research, I discovered the Foundation was deeply committed to Embryonic Stem Cell research. (The use of stem cells from aborted babies). Well as Catholic and a Deacon I could not in good conscience support such an effort. When I told my peers that I could not participate, they thought I was very childish and insensitive. I explained my position and hoped they would understand. I took a bit of ridiculing, but that is the small price any of us could pay for being faithful to Christ.

My dear friends this is the division the Lord is talking about. Once we make a decision to follow Christ we are opening our selves up to division, criticism and quite honestly a lot of aggravation. But the cost is small in comparison to the benefit we are given if we are faithful.

Jesus’ very message is decisive because it calls us to a radical way of living – self giving for the good of others. We must make a decision to follow him or not, to share his Passion or not, to be self giving as he is or not. These choices can and will result in division even within our own families.

In today’s letter to the Hebrews, we hear, “let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.

My dear friends, may the fire of God’s love dwell deep in our hearts that we will make the right choices to follow and defend Jesus in our world today.

Milwaukee Vicar for Planning seeks to re-energize the Archdiocese.

2007-08-18T14:13:00.000-04:00

Fr. James Connell, appointed by Archbishop Timothy Dolan (Milwaukee) as Vicar for Planning, seeks to energize vibrancy in the archdiocese. Fr. Connell is no stranger to strategic planning, before becoming a priest, he spent 15 years as a management consultant for the international accounting firm of Peat Marwick and Mitchell ("PWC").

To meet the challenges of the 21st century, he looks no further than the words of Jesus, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of time.”

“That’s the mission ...,” Fr. Connell said. “Go to all nations; we are to be taught what Christ taught us. As the church goes into the 21st century, we have to ask: ‘Are we really prepared well, as the people, to carry on that mission?’”

When Fr. Connell, a priest of 20 years, cites the loss of vibrancy in the church, he notes it’s caused by fewer people in church and fewer participating in the life of the church; few students in Catholic schools, fewer priests and nuns, and buildings that continue to deteriorate.

In order to meet the challenges of the future, Fr. Connell recommends everything is up for grabs including parishes, schools and finances.

“How can we look at all of this — it’s not just the priest shortage; it’s the vibrancy of the faith — to help put spark back into it to make sure that we develop the structure we need for the church in the 21st century, primarily focusing on the young people not the older people?”

Fr. Connell didn’t put a specific age on “young people,” but he talked about “looking to the future for the youth.”“The younger people aren’t around that much; they’re the ones we’ve got to be finding and bringing back and getting attracted to this again,” he said about the evangelization component of his work.

“The older folks, who have been very faithful and loyal, are going to say, ‘This is mine; this is the way we built it’ and yet, it’s not about them as much as it is about the younger people.”

Fr. Connell is adamant that change will need to occur. “If we have to stick with the model as it was in the 19th and 20th century, we’re not going to be there. We’re going to shortchange our kids.

So if the people want to say, ‘It’s ours, and it’s our money,’ this will come about without them if we can empower the young people to do this,” he said.

Fr. Connell expects people will be drawn to an opportunity to make that change happen, and he sees it as benefiting other efforts, e.g., the archbishop’s $100 million capital campaign.

“There’s something now to invest in, there’s something to put our soul and heart in, not just our money, but our whole spirit, what we’re about, what our faith is. That can be there with some real vibrancy,” he said. “We have an opportunity to create that about which we’ve only been able to dream.”

I would suggest reading the rest of the article for more information. Fr. Connell's questions are ones the entire church needs to ask. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to continue to complete the mission of Jesus among us.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal - "Live Jesus"

2007-08-17T19:13:00.000-04:00

St. Vincent de Paul said of Jane Frances: “She was full of faith, yet all her life had been tormented by thoughts against it. While apparently enjoying the peace and easiness of mind of souls who have reached a high state of virtue, she suffered such interior trials that she often told me her mind was so filled with all sorts of temptations and abominations that she had to strive not to look within herself...But for all that suffering her face never lost its serenity, nor did she once relax in the fidelity God asked of her. And so I regard her as one of the holiest souls I have ever met on this earth” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints).

Here in the United States, we honor St. Jane Frances de Chantal on August 18th. Her feast day was moved from December 12th to avoid a conflict with the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the partroness of the Americas.

Jane was born in Dijon France on January 28, 1572. As St. Vincent de Paul noted, tragedy seemed to shadow Jane throughout her life. Her mother died 18 months after her birth.

She was married at the age of 21, gave birth to six children of which three of them died in infancy. At the age of 28, her husband, Baron de Chantal was killed. At first, Jane sank into a deep depression only to be rescued by her faith.

At the age of 32, she met St. Francis de Sales who became her spiritual director. Jane had a burning desire to take vows and enter a covent but Francis advised otherewise until the time was right.

After three years Francis told her of his plan to found an institute of women which would be a haven for those whose health, age or other considerations barred them from entering the already established communities. There would be no cloister, and they would be free to undertake spiritual and corporal works of mercy. They were primarily intended to exemplify the virtues of Mary at the Visitation (hence their name, the Visitation nuns): humility and meekness.

The usual opposition to women in active ministry arose and Francis de Sales was obliged to make it a cloistered community following the Rule of St. Augustine. Francis wrote his famous Treatise on the Love of God for them. The congregation (three women) began when Jane Frances was 45. She underwent great sufferings: Francis de Sales died; her son was killed; a plague ravaged France; her daughter-in-law and son-in-law died. She encouraged the local authorities to make great efforts for the victims of the plague and she put all her convent’s resources at the disposal of the sick.

During a part of her religious life she had to undergo great trials of the spirit—interior anguish, darkness and spiritual dryness. She died while on a visitation of convents of the community. (American Catholic)

Today, followers of St. Jane, the Sisters of the Visitation "Live Jesus" in a semi-comtemplative life and staff educational academies for young ladies. The Diocese of Brooklyn has been blest to have such an Academy here in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn educating young ladies for over 150 years.

College Chaplains offer advice on keeping young adults active in the faith.

2007-08-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

As parents, we often wonder what will happen to our children's spiritual lives once they go off to college. We would like to believe that they will continue to practice their faith once college bound. We all know that peer pressure etc. can weigh heavily on a young adults mind and persuade them otherwise.

I used to believe that if they are grounded in the faith at home, they are in good hands once they are off to college. Let's face it, unless the college or university fosters a faith filled environment, the chances of them continuing to practice their faith are considerably less.

College Chaplains had this to say: "Staying involved in church activities and with campus Newman centers is key to students keeping the faith while in college, according to college chaplains."

First and foremost, as in all things Catholic, go to Mass," said Father John Nordeman, chaplain of the Newman Center at Pennsylvania's West Chester University. "It is a staple. It is something that we can always count on as being the same, and it is where we go to meet our Lord."

He also stressed the importance of prayer, saying that "even five minutes can change your day."Father Edward Windhaus, chaplain of the Tri-College Newman Cluster of Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore colleges in Philadelphia, encourages students to expand their prayer lives through the Liturgy of the Hours and contemplative prayer. Prayer without words -- just putting oneself in the presence of God -- can do wonders, he said, suggesting that students "find a quite space -- a niche in a library, an empty chair in a study room" or even to pray while walking to campus.

In an interview with The Catholic Standard & Times, Philadelphia's archdiocesan newspaper, he said college students are transitioning to adulthood and "have to find, as all adults do, their time and place to put God into their daily routine."Another way to keep Catholic on campus is to seek out other like-minded Catholics. "When they're at Mass, they'll see other students there," Father Nordeman said.

Students are encouraged to immerse themselves in their Catholic faith in a variety of ways, including stepping up to serve as a lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion or as a retreat leader.Serving the less fortunate outside their campus boundaries is also encouraged through many campus-sponsored service projects for those in need.The Catholic faith can be a great comfort to those who are apprehensive or angst-ridden about being out on their own for the first time.

Parents, it might be worthwhile to do some research in the "spirituality area" when you and your children are considering which college or university is the right choice.

How much tragedy can Huntington Utah bear?

2007-08-17T07:43:00.000-04:00

Just as the town of Huntington Utah received a glimmer of hope that after eleven days the six coal miners trapped in the Crandall Cayon mine may still be alive, hope turned to tragedy as three rescue workers were killed in a second cave-in.

MSNBC reports: "A disastrous cave-in Thursday night killed three rescue workers and injured at least six others who were trying to tunnel through rubble to reach six trapped miners, authorities said. Mining officials were considering whether to suspend the rescue effort.It was a shocking setback on the 11th day of the effort to find miners who have been confined at least 1,500 feet below ground at the Crandall Canyon mine. It is unknown if the six are alive or dead.

“All rescue workers have been evacuated from the mine,” said Dirk Fillpot, a spokesman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Officials said the cave-in was caused by a mountain bump, which commonly refers to pressure inside the mine that shoots coal from the walls with great force. Seismologists say such an event caused the Aug. 6 cave-in that trapped six men inside the central Utah mine. Thursday’s bump occurred about 6:30 p.m. ET.

Family members of miners, many in tears, gathered at the mine’s front entrance looking for news.

Let us pray that through the intercession of St. Barbara, patron of miners, that God will comfort this community in their time of sorrow.

The Scooter's Generosity - Holy Cow!!!

2007-08-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

Most New Yorkers will remember Phil Rizzuto as a great Yankee shortstop who played along side other legends such as DiMaggio, Berra & Mantle. Others will remember him for his great support for Catholic Charity, especially the St. Joseph School for the Blind in Jersey City. The school was founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

The Catholic News Agency Reports, "He raised more than $2 million through his work organizing celebrity golf tournaments as well as through his own family's donations. As a result of Rizzuto's generous charity work, the school opened a new two-story, 75,000-square-foot facility in Jersey City Feb. 20.

The school previously utilized facilities that had been in place since the 1920s. St. Joseph will hold its 17th annual golf outing Aug. 20, and it is expected the event will be dedicated to the Yankee great's memory and his work to support the school."

May his soul and souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

Disgusting Billboard Promotes Abortion on Manhattan's West Side.

2007-08-15T21:29:00.000-04:00

As New York Catholics celebrated the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, the Manhattan Mini-Storage Company has permitted a pro abortion billboard to be affixed to their building on West 44th Street and 12th Ave.

This culture of death icon is in close proximity of the Sisters of Life Holy Respite that comforts and supports women who have chosen God's gift of life.

This no doubt, has enraged the Catholic League's President, Mr. Bill Donahue.

The Catholic League has issued the following statement: "New Yorkers are accustomed to Manhattan Mini Storage posting billboards that bash the Bush Administration, but when it makes the leap from partisan politics to crude cultural commentary, it is stepping on dangerous turf. Why a storage company finds the need to advertise its support for abortion is a story all of its own, but when it seeks to depict the pro-life community—which is primarily Catholic and Protestant—as oppressive, then a line has been crossed.

"Those who like this billboard would no doubt be aghast at the sight of a billboard that featured a bloody baby who survived a botched abortion. They would be even more incensed if the picture were accompanied by the remark, 'This is what happens when abortion fails.'

"Manhattan Mini Storage is not only guilty of crudeness, but of cowardice. To wit: Why didn't it have the guts to identify the object of her 'shrinking' choice?"

You can contact the general manager of Manhattan Mini Storage by sending an email to tellus@manhattanministorage.com

Our Lady, protector of the unborn, pray for us and those who continue to commit sins against the sacredness of all life.

A new website is heading our way, it's called.....

2007-08-15T21:16:00.000-04:00

Catholic News Agency reports: On September 1, the digital world will see the launch of a new Catholic media initiative called Insidecatholic.com. The new website is the latest effort of the Morley Publishing Group (MPG), perhaps best known for its magazine Crisis, to remain on the cutting edge of media communication.

The media group sees their soon-to-be-unveiled website as helping their audience of “engaged active Catholics” to evangelize the culture, defend the Church, and live as authentic Christian witnesses in our secular culture. The goal of MPG’s newest venture is to become a more influential Catholic voice in the arenas of politics and social issues.

InsideCatholic.com plans to produce material that utilizes all of the tools of the internet. Each day, “written and filmed content will be published, including original articles and columns, the Inside Blog, Inside Videos, Special Reports, and weekly e-mail blasts. In addition, the website will host a digital version of Crisis Magazine, the Morley Institute, an archive and a store.”

The major attraction of the site will be its “Inside Blog,” which MPG hopes will serve as a major draw for visitors. According to a press release from MPG, “[their] Blog will be an online diary where ten faithful Catholics from different political and social perspectives debate and discuss the issues of the day. Since many of the bloggers are insiders in the Church or politics, the blog will serve as the forum where they break our exclusive stories.”

The website will also offer a professionally produced video on a weekly basis, “Inside Alert” emails, major projects, which will consist of several articles centered around a particular theme, and Deal Hudson’s weekly email called, “The Window.”

Stay tuned.

"All Generations Will Call Me Blessed."- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2007-08-14T20:49:00.000-04:00

As the summer starts to wind down and the back to school commercials invade our television sets, the Church celebrates a feast that shows us the conclusion of Mary’s story on earth.

Americans will go about their business today, many trying to sneak into local churches to honor this holy day of obligation. For Europeans, especially Italians, this feast is especially honored. As a matter of fact, many Europeans vacation during the entire month of August, the month of our Lady.

Today we heard the wonderful account of Mary's encounter with her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth, and her unborn child John the Baptist recognize that Mary is the tabernacle of our Divine Savior.

In that account, Mary sings the Magnificat, an Old Testament song of God’s love and justice. Luke writes “All generations will call me blessed.” These words have foretold a devotion to a woman like no other. For almost two thousands years, no woman has been loved and adored more than Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Since the day she was assumed into heaven, her devotion quickly spread throughout the ages. Yet, many in our present day have highly questioned the practice of honoring Mary and holding her dear to our hearts.

Our love for Mary never compromises our love for Jesus. In fact, true Marian devotion must always lead us to Jesus. Why shouldn't we have a special affection for Mary? If God chose and honored Mary to be the woman who would give birth to His beloved son, be entrusted to care and nurture him and to love him until death, why shouldn't we be able to entrust Mary with our own lives?

Before Jesus breathed his last, he said, Son, behold your mother. With these words, Jesus had given his mother to the entire world. From the moment she said “yes” to God, Mary had become the most perfect model for discipleship, the most faithful follower of Jesus.

From Scripture, we read numerous passages of how Mary was so obedient to God’s will. At the Wedding at Cana , she instructs the waiters, “do what ever he tells you to do.” A lesson for us all, especially when things seem not to go as we might have planned.

Although, the feast of the Assumption is not contained in Scripture, we can assume that since Mary, unlike us, was conceived without sin she could not have suffered bodily decay upon the end of her earthly life.

Tradition holds that she was assumed body and soul into heaven. The Eastern traditions call today’s feast the Dormition of Mary (the day Mary went to sleep). The feast of the Assumption affirms the resurrection of the body, a belief we proclaim in our profession of faith. It carries for us a glorious promise of life eternal.

Today, we should give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of His mother and honor her as our special patron, our special intercessor. May she continue to walk side by side with us and teach us to accept God’s will. Together with Mary, may we be instruments of God’s word and example of God’s love in the world around us.

The new Bishop of Birmingham is........

2007-08-14T08:12:00.000-04:00

Rocco Palmo (Whispers) reports this morning "At long last, it’s official: at Roman Noon today, the Pope named Bishop Robert Baker of Charleston to the diocese of Birmingham, which covers northern Alabama.

Baker, 63, succeeds Bishop David Foley, who retired as Birmingham’s ordinary in May 2005. Foley, 77, has since served as diocesan administrator; he’s led the diocese since 1993. Over the last 14 years, its Catholic population has grown by half, now exceeding 90,000.

A native of Ohio, the whole of the incoming bishop’s ministry has been spent in the rapidly-expanding church of the American South. Ordained for the diocese of St Augustine in 1970 and sent to Rome for doctoral studies in dogmatic theology shortly thereafter, he served in turns as a parish priest, campus minister and seminary formator before being tapped to lead South Carolina’s statewide diocese in 1999.

As bishop of Charleston, Baker has presided over rapid growth; thanks to a combination of Rust Belt transplants and adult converts, the Palmetto State’s Catholic population boomed by almost 40% (to 175,000+) during his tenure, and dedicating new or expanded churches, schools and parish facilities has been both the imperative and the norm. Further highlighting the church’s new prominence in the diocese – whose 1820 founding marked American Catholicism’s entrance into the Deep South – last month the bishop ordained the diocese’s largest class of priestly ordinands since 1956.

Mother Angelica and her network have great cause for rejoicing. Bishop Baker is deeply committed to vocations and liturgical renewal. When the Motu Proprio was issued last month, he said “let us be committed to celebrating the Sacred Mysteries ‘with great reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives,’ with well-trained liturgical ministers, the use of sacred music, giving pride of place to Gregorian chant, and providing on-going liturgical catechesis for the faithful.” “Important to the traditional Mass is a strict obedience to the rubrics and the realization that the Mass is greater than the individual,” he stated. “We don’t change the Mass, it changes us.”

St. Maximilian Kolbe - Priest of Auschwitz, Devotee of Mary

2007-08-13T20:34:00.000-04:00

Today, on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption, we remember a Franciscan priest named Maximilian Kolbe who gave his life in place of another at Auschwitz.

Max had a deep love for Mary. He strongly believed that the world must appeal to Mary, mediatrix of all grace, if we desire to conquer evil in the world.

In 1917, Max started a movement within the church called the Militia of the Immaculata. An army of Catholics who see Mary as their role model and prayer as their weapon against evil.

Max, without money, fluency in foreign languages or power traveled throughout Europe and Asia to set up Mary’s villages designed to spread the Gospels. Max used modern means of communication to quickly spread the message of Christ’s love. His new magazine called “The Immaculata” was published in many languages. It was his instrument to promote evangelization, especially in Non-Christian countries.

It was not long before the Nazis in his native Poland felt threatened by his success. Max was immediately arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Max not only deepened his love for Mary and Jesus, but worked secretly to console his fellow prisoners. While in Auschwitz, the Commandant would to sentence ten prisoners to death by starvation whenever one prisoner escaped. In 1941, Max witnessed the selection of 10 prisoners. He was moved with pity when he saw the 10th person chosen crying out for his family. Max offered himself in place of that Jewish man named Francis Gajowniczek.

The Nazis accepted his sacrifice. Max was sent to an underground cell and never failed to exercise his priestly office. Max and his companions spent their last days in prayer, devoted to the Blessed Mother to the end. After two weeks without food or water, 9 of the prisoners had died. They were surprised to see that Max, who had been very sickly throughout his life, was still alive. On the eve of the feast of the Assumption, Max received a fatal injection in order to make room for another ten prisoners.

Max, followed Jesus’ example, no greater love one has than to lay down his life for a friend. Through these terrible acts of pain and torture, Max knew the Blessed Mother would stay by his side, just like she did for her own beloved son.

Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian as a "martyr of charity" in 1982. St. Maximilian Kolbe is considered a patron of journalists, families, prisoners, the pro-life movement and the chemically addicted.

Francis Gajowniczek survived World War II and spent the rest of his life touring the world speaking about the man who saved his life. He was present at St. Maximilian’s canonization. He died in 1995.

Today, St. Maximilian's message: "To Jesus through Mary" carries on in the lives of those who continue to consecrate their lives to the Blessed Mother.

Pope Benedict says, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar."

2007-08-13T19:58:00.001-04:00

People love to justify their interpretation of the Bible. Every time the, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar" Gospel passage is read, most believe that it doesn't apply to paying their income taxes. After all, the Government has enough money, they don't need mine. Others will say, "That was intended for those rich folks."

Catholic Online reports: Pope Benedict XVI is working on a new encyclical that will condemn tax evasion as “socially unjust” and will denounce the use of “tax havens” and offshore bank accounts by wealthy individuals to avoid taxes owed.

In a article published the Times of London dated Aug. 10, Richard Owen, quoting Vatican sources, reported that the pope’s second encyclical will focus on social and economic problems facing mankind in an era of globalization.

He will argue, the Times said, that tax shelters that seek to illegitimately limit the amount of taxes paid and the non-payment of taxes reduces tax revenues that benefit of society as a whole and shift the burden to those less able to afford it.

The pope is said to intend to urge the regulation of world trade and economic systems that will discourage further injustice.

Last week, the Italian government of Roman Prodi called for a concerted crackdown on tax evaders, noting that individual avoidance of taxes and those associated with black-market transactions amount to 27 percent of Italy’s gross domestic product.

Prodi, a Catholic, urged church leaders to speak out on tax evasion, telling the Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana that a third of Italians heavily evaded taxes, which were needed to help defray Italy’s huge budget deficit.

“Why, when I go to Mass, is this issue almost never touched upon in homilies?” Prodi asked. “If memory serves, St. Paul exhorted the faithful to obey authority.”

Just before leaving the Alps at the end of Pope Benedict's July 9 -27 vacation, his private secretary, Msgr. Georg Ganswein, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, said that the pontiff’s daily holiday schedule included work on a new encyclical.

Signore Prodi, I am not sure how much good preaching this message in church is going to do. Remember, Italy's mass attendance statistics is at an all time low.

Kurtz is the name, Vocations is his game!

2007-08-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

When Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz is installed as the Archdiocese of Louisville on the feast of the Assumption, vocations will be on his mind.

Bishop Kurtz is stepping into an archdiocese that, for the second time in two years, has ordained no priests.

For the last 10 years, the archdiocese has ordained an average of less than two priests per year, even though the Catholic population has grown 7 percent.

The archdiocese has 88 active (full-time) priests, roughly one-third the number in 1970. And the average age of all priests—including retirees, some of whom continue to work part-time—is 63. The archdiocese has merged 17 parishes and told dozens of others to share priests because of those numbers and population shifts.

Kurtz says he’s prepared to be patient—something he did in Knoxville. Rocco Palmo (Whispers) reported back in June, "Kurtz -- who's seen his presbyterate jump by half over the course of his time in Tennessee -- recently held a vocations summit of diocesan leaders and high school students to determine how best to form a culture fostering an individual's call in the life of the church."

The The Archdiocese of Louisville website quotes Kurtz and says, “Vocations,” he said, “need firsthand belief.” And when it comes to vocations, Archbishop Kurtz believes the church and its members have sometimes become too shy about promoting them. “Over the past few decades I fear it has not been politically correct to promote vocations to the religious life,” he wrote in a May 6 column. “I have found in my conversations with others that the topic of vocations to the priesthood quickly gets shifted to a more generic discussion.

Perhaps some fear that inappropriate pressure to become a priest might be applied. “Any true response to a call to religious life or priesthood must be to an invitation, not manipulation. Vocations are never imposed but always nurtured.”

Let us remember to pray for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life.

O'Malley's uphill battle!

2007-08-12T11:27:00.000-04:00

Our hearts and prayers really need to go out to Cardinal O'Malley as he continues to suffer the effects of the scar riddled face of the Boston Archdiocese. Whether it's church finances, vocations, health care and now casinos, the Cardinal seems to meet opposition on many fronts.

In my humble opinion, he has done everything humanly possible (with divine intervention) to steer the barca of Peter back on course. Yet, others in Boston may not feel the same.

The Boston Globe reports: Church leaders, who have used their moral authority and political muscle to defeat gambling proposals for more than 70 years in Massachusetts, are struggling to gain traction against a casino in Middleborough this year as they face declining clout on Beacon Hill, indifferent congregants, and a sense that the casino is inevitable.

Perhaps the best religious leaders can hope for this year, McGowan said, is to make sure that a portion of casino revenues are set aside for programs for the needy, especially treatment services for compulsive gamblers.

"Behind the scenes, you might be able to mitigate some of the negative effects," he said. Raymond L. Flynn -- the former mayor of Boston, former ambassador to the Vatican, and current president of Catholic Citizenship, an activist group -- traces the reluctance among Catholic leaders to fight the casino proposal to the eruption of the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

"It was really the clergy sexual abuse scandal that really brought the church to a position where they weren't very effective in lobbying in the Massachu setts Legislature," Flynn said. "I think they lost a lot of their moral and political influence and clout up at the State House."

Some suggest to win a partial battle by having gambling funds set aside for social programs. O'Malley disagrees. "If public works and projects in the Commonwealth need to be funded, there should be other ways to do that, perhaps by raising taxes," O'Malley wrote July 27. "

But relying on casinos makes us gambling junkies, and we become dependent on that money, which will result in many ruined lives, ruined businesses, and ruined neighborhoods. So we unequivocally oppose casino gambling in the state."

Brothers and sisters, let's pray for the Church in Boston as well as the people of the State of Massachusetts. May the voice of Christ spoken through it's religious & lay leaders be heard in the hearts of all.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Be prepared, Be not afraid!

2007-08-11T10:48:00.001-04:00

The readings over the past couple of weeks have hardly been "ordinary." They have and will continue to challenge us to live our lives as God intended. These Gospel passages call us to be mindful of the treasures that are truly important in this life and the life to come.

Last week, we heard about the rich man who was determined to build bigger and better barns to store his harvest. From the sound of things, he never intended on thinking about anyone but himself. God reminds him (and us too), we can't take it with us.

All worldly treasures have a definite shelf life. What the Lord offers us lasts forever!

This week, the Lord assures us, "Do not be afraid, the Father is pleased to give you the kingdom." But with this gift comes the responsibility of being good stewards of the Lord's treasure.

The words, "Do not be afraid," have been the hallmark of JP II's pontificate. JPII wanted especially the young people to know that lives centered on Christ and not worldly power and possessions is what God wants. We often forget that "Father truly knows best."

The real message of today is vigilance and preparedness. Yes, Jesus wants us to be ready to meet him at all times. Not only at the end of our earthly lives but while we still have the opportunity to make a difference in the world He created.

He reminds us:"much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

We must be willing to share our God given gifts and talents with our brothers and sisters.

About a year ago, my wife and I were invited to the Sacred Heart Convent (Sisters of Life's Holy Respite in Manhattan) for evening prayer and dinner. I noticed a Sister responding several times when the door bell and telephone rang during the recitation of the Divine Office. Honestly, I was quite troubled by those interruptions myself. While we were at dinner, I asked her, "Sister, why did you allow the door bell and the phone calls interrupt your prayer?"

She said, "Tony, we respond at all times since we never know when the Lord, disguised in a distressed and needy soul, needs our help." My sisters and brothers, that is the essence of vigilance and prayer.

Sometimes we (especially those in Holy Orders and Religious vows) can become insensitive to the needs of those who need the Lord's healing presence. This is especially true when we are approached to assist someone at the most inconvenient time.

Jesus wants us to always be prepared to meet Him:

on the sidewalk during a wintery cold day, when a homeless person needs some attention;

in the soup kitchen when a lonely aged person would also like a smile to go with their food;

on the telephone when a needy friend needs some one to talk to about some distressing news they just head;

in church, when a recent widower or widow needs to be comforted and

in the hospital, when a patient may need to comforted more than medicine.

When the Lord Jesus looks into our hearts, may he find the treasures that will lead us to ever lasting life with Him in heaven.

Let us pray that Jesus will give us the patience, the courage and the willingness to meet and greet him when he approaches us when least expected.

St. Clare of Assisi– model of humility and poverty

2007-08-10T13:51:00.000-04:00

As the Saints keep marching in, we end the 18th week in Ordinary Time with celebrating the memorial of St. Clare of Assisi. “They say behind every man is a great woman.” And such was the case of Francis and Clare.

Prior to her conversion, Clare like Francis, lived the good life, tasted wealth and could have spent the rest of her days happily married. But Clare had a burning desire to do much more.

The seeds of a life of service to the poor were planted long before her encounter with the Il Poverello (translated, the Poor one). In her early youth, Clare was exiled to Perugia. While the men in the family were off fighting their wars, the women chose to live as penitents. Clare’s mother, along with her daughters, as well as other women among Clare's family and friends, were fasting, praying, bringing food to the poor and visiting prisoners.

Clare’s family hoped that she would marry a wealthy citizen of Assisi. But Clare, after hearing Francis preaching in the streets, decided to join him. Along with Francis, she founded an order of nuns (Poor Clares)

Unlike Francis’ order of lesser brothers, whose members moved around the country to preach, Clare's sisters lived a contemplative life, a life hardly conceivable at that time for women. Their life consisted of manual labor and prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament.

Clare was a born leader and through her guidance she was able to establish her monastery at San Damiano, the church originally rebuilt by Francis himself. Towards the end of life, still determined, she was able to convince Pope Innocent IV to approve her Rule of life in complete poverty. Clare like Francis insisted their followers own no property for themselves. She desired nothing more than to live a life of total dependence upon God.

Clare played a significant role in encouraging and aiding Francis, whom she saw as a spiritual father figure. She and her sisters took care of Francis during his illnesses at the end of his life, until his death in 1226.

Her devotion to the Eucharist was the source of her strenght. Clare is often depicted with a monstrance in hand. It has been said that she relied upon God's presence in the Eucharist to defend her city on the verge of being attacked by invaders.

After Francis' death, Clare continued to promote the growth of her order, writing letters to abbesses in other parts of Europe and thwarting every attempt by each successive Pope to impose a Rule on her order which watered down the radical commitment to poverty originally embraced. She did this despite the fact that she had endured a long period of poor health until her death in 1253.

The legacy of St. Clare continues in our world today by the many followers who have embraced her lifestyle. Her example of a life committed to prayer, contemplation and the Eucharist is evident by the powerful EWTN network built from nothing by Mother Angelica. You may like or dislike Mother. But you can not deny the fact that Mother’s love for Jesus and her commitment to a life of prayer and communion with the Lord has enabled her build her network from Divine Providence.

I would strongly recommend reading Raymond Arroyo’s book: “Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles.”

Francis and Clare’s way of living a simple life is time honored and tested. Let us pray that our Lord Jesus will help us to realize that excess material possessions prevent us from loving Him and our neighbor more fervently each day.

St. Clare, teach us to have more respect for Christ and His presence in the Holy Eucharist and in our lesser sisters and brothers throughout the world.

St. Lawrence of Rome - Deacon and Martyr

2007-08-09T21:56:00.000-04:00

Although the updated Roman Martyrology contains approximately 7,000 saints and blesseds currently venerated by the Church as martyrs, few of them from the early church are as widely known as St. Lawrence of Rome.

St. Lawrence was a deacon of Pope Sixtus II, whose memorial we just celebrated earlier this week. Lawrence’s story had made a deep and lasting impression on the early church. Lawrence was responsible for the managing and distribution of material goods to the poor in Rome.

Emperor Valerian was known for his dislike of Christians. During his reign, he issued a degree that all Bishops, Priests and Deacons be killed. He was not only interested in persecuting them but wanted their material possessions as well.

He has been reported to say, “I know you Christians use silver cups to hold the precious blood of Christ and golden candlesticks for evening liturgies. Your doctrine says, Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, therefore hand over your treasures.” He delayed Lawrence’s execution three days since Lawrence promised to deliver him the true treasures of the Church. On his day of reckoning, Lawrence delivered.

As the Lord Jesus said before him, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God. Lawrence gathered all the lame, widowed, orphaned and blind and delivered them to Valerian.

Valerian was so angry that he handed Lawrence a horrific death sentence, death by fire. Lawrence was ordered to lie on a gridiron heated by fiery coals. The legend goes further to state that as Lawrence was suffering, he remained cheerful and ordered his executioners to turn him over since he was done on one side.

In reflecting upon Lawrence’s life, its important to note that Lawrence, deacon and servant of the Lord offered his life for the sake of Christ and His Church.

Today, the church more than ever needs men and women who are willing to give of themselves freely and totally to Christ.

To my Brother Deacons, a Happy Feast day to all of you!

Let us pray fervently that like St. Lawrence, we may continue to live our lives in service of the Gospel.

The Excommunicated Milingo and his followers are at it again!

2007-08-09T21:13:00.000-04:00

The excommunicated (Archbishop) Milingo and his followers claim their movement is similar to that of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Out of Africa comes this news report:

After what they described as years of soul searching, reflection, anguish and intimidation some married priests in Zambia mainly from the Catholic Church have decided to come out in the open and begin conducting mass under the auspices of the Movement for Married Priests. The Movement founded by excommunicated Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo.

The Movement for Married Priests Now- Zambia Chapter had a rally last weekend to mark the commencement of its activities in Zambia with a call to all priests that have married secretly to come out in the open and renounce priesthood celibacy.

Father Anzanga Mbewe a married priest who was ordained to priesthood by late Ndola Catholic Bishop De Jong defied a longstanding tradition of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church with his colleagues and are now open disciples of Milingo.

Though one will not hear a great deal about married Roman Catholic priests the truth is that they do exist. Some estimates place their number at around 20 per cent of all Roman Catholic priests in the world. This would mean that 20 per cent of all Roman Catholic priests are officially and legally married, even though celibacy continues to be a requirement. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHERE THEY GOT THESE FIGURES FROM!!!

Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) president, Telesphore Mpundu clarified the status of the former Archbishop of Lusaka, Emmanuel Milingo, in the light of media reports that he was planning to come back to Zambia.

"We reiterate that the former Archbishop has been excommunicated. Excommunication means that he is no longer part of the Catholic Church. By his own actions, he has knowingly and willingly cut himself off from the Catholic Church. He therefore cannot preside over any religious function in the name of the Catholic Church.

If indeed he wants to come back to Zambia, it is within his rights to return to his homeland. However, we urge our Catholic faithful to be aware that if he holds religious functions, then those ceremonies will be done outside the Catholic Church. Therefore they are not Catholic services." Bishop Mpundu said.

The Vatican said in September that Milingo and the four men he ordained as bishops were "automatically excommunicated" under Church law.

His movement claims "excommunicating Milingo was the biggest mistake Vatican made because they have made him more stronger, this can only be compared to what happened when they expelled Martin Luther King in 1520. They elevated Martin Luther to be the founder of the Protestant movement. Vatican has given Milingo power to establish a new version of the Catholic Church." Father Mbewe charged.

The "one true" Catholic Church of Jesus Christ has survived for over 2,000 years. There have been many Milingo's in the past and you can be certain there will be more in the future. Milingo and his followers fail to understand that they have no authority to establish a new Catholic church. The old one is just fine and will continue long after they are gone.

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross - a daughter of Israel and daughter of the Carmelites

2007-08-08T22:18:00.001-04:00

Is it Divine intervention that the Church celebrates the lives of a Saint and a Cardinal (Lustiger) of Jewish heritage this week? Both had moments of grace and conversion. Both had a connection to the death camp at Auschwitz. (Cardinal Lustiger's mother died there).

Edith Stein was born in 1911 during the high holy days of Yom Kippur, the feast of Atonement. Edith’s father died when Edith turned two years old. Her mother left to raise a family and run the family business and had little time to teach her children the Jewish faith. Edith eventually lost her faith in God. She said, “I consciously decided, of my own volition, to give up praying.”

Little did Edith realize that God’s will was not her own.

Edith went on to study philosophy and was interested in women’s issues. She wrote articles about the philosophical foundation of psychology. Her moment of conversion occurred when she noticed a woman with a shopping basket entering the empty Frankfurt Cathedral, knelt down and prayed. She said that she had never seen this before.

Her educational mentors eventually led her to the Catholic faith. She remained a university teacher until she was baptized on January 1, 1922, the feast of the circumcision of the Lord.

Edith was very captivated by reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. The writings of St. Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Newman were her favorites as well. Twelve years later she entered the Carmelite convent and received the name, Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

As the situation for Jews worsened in Cologne, her superiors thought it was wise for Sr. Teresa to move to the Netherlands. The Nazis eventually occupied that country in 1940. The Nazis angered by the local Bishops remarks denouncing their occupation, arrested all Dutch Jews. Sr. Teresa and her sister Rosa were sent to Auschwitz and died in a gas chamber on August 9, 1942.

A few days before her deportation, she truly embraced the cross of Christ. Edit had dismissed the question about a possible rescue: “Why should I be spared? Is it right that I should gain an advantage from my Baptism? If I cannot share the lot of my brothers and sisters, my life in a certain sense, is destroyed.”

What lesson can we learn from the life of Edith Stein?

John Paul II, in speaking to a group of young people said it best, “Your life is not an endless series of open doors! Listen to your heart! Do not stay on the surface of things but go to the heart of things! And when the time is right, have the courage to decide! The Lord is waiting for you to put your freedom into good hands.”

Edit sought after God. When the time was right, she made a giant leap forward and became a great witness of faith in the face of hopelessness, suffering and devastation.

Are Religious Sisters experiencing a crisis?

2007-08-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

From the looks of things, the more progressive orders are in a state of decline.

Sometimes you can read a thought provoking article and say, Are you kidding me? Such was my reaction when I read this one on the Catholic News Service. (Highlights italicized below) Recently a group of Women religious gathered at the Women Religious Leadership Conference in Kansas City to discuss the future of their religious organizations.

Dominican Sister Laurie Brink in her keynote address reminded her audience that when religious life first emerged and again after the Second Vatican Council it was directed to the edges of society, "which were in desperate need of our compassionate attention.

So it is to the margins that religious life must again move, in order to be true to its original and renewed impetus toward holiness."

Also during the assembly in Kansas City, the 750 leaders of U.S. religious communities in attendance approved a resolution calling for members to promote legislation to preserve and renew wetlands and coastal regions and strengthen Louisiana's levees.

A second resolution they approved promotes debt cancellation in developing countries, especially through participation in a 40-day "rolling fast" in September and October promoted by the Jubilee USA Network.

I would not argue with their resolutions, but what caught my attention was this the following:

"If there is to be a future for women religious that upholds our dignity as reflections of the divine equal to that of our brothers, respects our baptismal promises and honors our commitment to the mission of Jesus," said Sister Laurie, "we must first be reconciled with the institutional church.

Such an effort will cost us dearly."She said that for the last 30 years women religious have slowly removed themselves from the inner circles of the church, because "we have tired of the condescension and we have opted for ministry outside the church."Women religious are angry, she said, "not about the Eucharist itself -- but about the ecclesial deafness that refuses to hear the call of the Spirit summoning not only celibate males, but married men and women to serve at the table of the Lord." That has helped put religious women's orders "on the verge of extinction," she said.

All I could do is think about Mother Teresa and her response when asked, "Mother, what do you think about women becoming priests? Don't you think you should be allowed to be ordained? Mother, in her usual wisdom answered, "My dear, I have no time to think about that, especially when Christ's poor are dying in the streets."

Mother's order reaches out to the marginalized, the suffering and dying yet remains Eucharistic centered and focused. Sr. Nirmala indicated that her order is not experiencing a vocation crisis. The Sisters spend many hours in the presence of our Lord to further their vocation to holiness and to gain their strength to meet the needs of the world head on.

So much energy, in my opinion is expended on personal agendas. I would like to remind the good Sister to speak to her Protestant and Jewish friends who ordain celibate and married women and men. I have and discovered that enrollment has been down significantly in their theological seminaries as well. They continue to have the same problems as Catholics in staffing their houses of worship.

I recently spoke with a local Rabbi who shared a pretty well known fact. The real issue is that our society (and perhaps some of our religious orders) have gone too far on the secular side. We have removed God totally from our lives.

I would think that women who felt they have a vocation would want to be more than social workers. If that were the case, no need to profess religious vows. Religious orders need to retain an identity and a unique charism. Some of the more traditional orders of women who also desire to minister to those on the edge of society have been experiencing some steady growth. The numbers may not be overwhelming as in the past, but they are in the right direction.

Here's one example: "1400 Percent Growth of Dominican Sisters." You can find others by referring to this Vocation Blog for more interesting links.

(Photo above is taken from the Nasheville Dominican Sister's website)

St. Dominic de Guzman – bearer of honor and grace.

2007-08-07T21:42:00.000-04:00

Today, Dominicans around the world are celebrating the feast day of their founder, St. Dominic de Guzman. Their cause for celebration is justified. Dominic and his followers have been heralding God’s word since their humble beginnings almost 800 years ago.

Dominicans have had a profound effect on spreading the word, teaching the faith and extending God’s love to all those in need.

Some of his more prominent followers have been the Angelic Doctor, Thomas Aquinas; the Papal Ambassador, Catherine of Sienna; Martin de Porres, Rose of Lima, Rose Hawthorn and Pius V.

Dominic showed himself in word and deed to be a man of the Gospel. Several times he refused the honor of being named a Bishop. He preferred living with his brothers in pray, preaching and poverty.

Dominic was born of noble parents in Old Castile, Spain in 1170. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. Initially, he became a Canon Regular under the rule of St. Augustine.

On a journey with his local Bishop in France, Dominic ran into a heretical group known as the Cathari or Albigensians. The Cathari were quickly gaining ground in Europe. Most peasants were not impressed with the Catholic clergy who had difficulty living the lives they preached. The Cathari, living hopelessly, believed that all matter is evil. They denied the incarnation and the sacraments. They also abstained from procreation and had minimal food and drink.

Many of these heretics were well informed and learned individuals. Dominic read the signs of his times and began to arm himself and his band of brothers & sisters to combat this form of heresy. He founded the Order of Preachers (“Dominicans”) for men and women. Dominic believed a preacher can successfully win over any form of heresy when the preacher’s actions coincided with their words.

Dominic once told a pompous bishop, "... heretics are more easily won over by examples of humility and virtue than by external display or a hail of words. Should we not rather arm ourselves with devout prayers and, carrying before us the standard of true humility, proceed in our bare feet against Goliath?" As hard as he was on himself, nevertheless, Dominic was easy on others.

His ideal, and that of his Order was to link organically a life with God, study and prayer in all forms, with a ministry of salvation to the people by the word of God. His ideal: to pass on the fruits of contemplation

The Dominican ideal is not admiration but imitation, imitation of the Lord Jesus. Dominic went home to God in 1221 and was canonized a saint 13 years later.

Today, Dominicans all over the world are still committed to preaching God’s word by example. A fellow Brooklynite and Dominican, Fr. Jude Siciliano, OP, now residing in North Carolina posts great homiletic reflections on his Preacher’s Exchange website. Be sure to visit his place.

Cardinal Bertone promises to expedite Fr. Michael McGiveny's canonization process

2007-08-07T21:19:00.001-04:00

Catholic News Service reports: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the second highest ranking official at the Vatican, told members of the Knights of Columbus that he is taking a personal interest in the beatification process for the order's founder, Father Michael McGivney."I hope this recognition (of sanctity) will arrive soon, and I'll personally work on this, so that this day will come soon,"

Cardinal Bertone said during his homily, delivered in Italian, at the Aug. 7 opening Mass of the Knights of Columbus' 125th annual national convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

Cardinal Bertone's comments on the sainthood cause of Father McGivney were met with applause from the Knights attending the Mass."I was thrilled," Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., the supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, said of Cardinal Bertone's comments."I think he appreciates what it would mean for parish priests in the United States and around the world, to have one of their own canonized a saint," Bishop Lori said in an interview on Eternal Word Television Network, which was broadcasting several events from the convention.

Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Conn., in 1882. The fraternal order for Catholic men has grown to become the largest lay Catholic organization in the world with more than 1.7 million members around the globe.

You can visit a website dedicated to Fr. McGiveny's life and legacy.

From across the Ocean - Family values once again tested in Spain

2007-08-07T08:06:00.001-04:00

As Pope Benedict struggles to retain Europe's Christian identity, Spain's government will begin implementing a new civic education program for children in the classroom. On the surface this may not seem so bad, but the new program aims to teach values consistent with a modern, diverse democracy.

The International Herald Tribune reports: According to Victorino Mayoral, a Socialist lawmaker and president of the CIVES Foundation, which was involved in crafting the course, students will receive a mix of ethics, civics and study of human rights. Based on the values enshrined in Spain's 1978 Constitution, the course will cover issues ranging from domestic violence to dangerous driving, which claims thousands of Spanish lives every year.

But the course will also deal with issues like gender, sexuality and the family, and the church is up in arms.

Catholic bishops say the new course usurps the family's freedom to shape a child's morality and will impart values that in some instances diverge radically from their own. The Episcopal Conference has called on parents to protest the new syllabus by any legitimate means, and several bishops have called for a boycott.

In an open letter to his parishioners in July, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, archbishop of Toledo, said the course would force society to accept "a particular vision of man that diverges from the reality of man and from the Christian vision."

Cardinal María Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, called the course a "serious problem" because it aims to "shape the individual, which is not the remit of the state."

The course "clashes with the fundamental principles of the Constitution and with the right of parents to choose their children's moral instruction," Varela declared at a seminar on religion organized by King Juan Carlos University in Madrid last month.

The Governement's response: Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero countered last month by warning the bishops that "no faith is above the law" and said it was society's job to "teach citizens the values of respect" and harmony.

"Spain is a lay country, and its lay principles guarantee pluralism and tolerance," Zapatero said at a Socialist youth conference on July 22.

Are we heading for an Episcopacy crisis in America?

2007-08-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

George Weigel, a Catholic author thinks we will by the year 2025.

It has been no secret that there have been several dioceses like Birmingham, Little Rock and Pittsburgh that were bishop-less for quite some time. Being a facts and figure man myself, the numbers do not add up. The current appointment process is certainly not keeping pace with the urgent needs of our dioceses.

Hopefully with the clergy sexual abuse scandal almost behind us, the American flock needs more young, holy, humble, trustworthy, dedicated and pastoral men to lead our churches through the twenty first century.

Without significant change, and soon, this glacial pace in the appointment of bishops is going to create a severe crisis of absentee Church leadership.

An exaggeration? Try this thought-experiment:

There are 222 months between July 2007 and December 2025. During that period, 165 diocesan bishops and 52 auxiliary bishops in the United States will reach the canonically prescribed retirement age of 75. That might suggest that a total of 217 bishops will have to be replaced between Independence Day 2007 and Christmas 2025 — which is a lot of bishops.

Things are actually more complicated, however, for such a simple calculation doesn't take into account the Ordinaries who will be transferred from one diocese to another, the bishops who may die before 75, or the bishops who may have to retire (or be retired). Nor does that simple calculation reflect the need for new bishops to fill the new dioceses that must be created as the Catholic population of the United States soars from 65 million today to perhaps 100 million in 2025.

Taking all of these factors into account, a conservative estimate would suggest that the Church in America must be given at least 250 new bishops between now and December 2025, or one new bishop about every three and a half weeks.

The risk of business-as-usual? Congregationalist ultramontanism, if you'll pardon the phrase: a Catholic Church in America in which people love their parish priests, love the Pope — and have little sense of connection to the local bishop. That's not what Vatican II intended in its reform of the episcopate, nor is it what Christ intended for his Church.

Memorial of Pope Sixtus II and his companions -

2007-08-06T21:11:00.001-04:00

The early Christian martyrs were certainly a courageous group of individuals, madly in love with Jesus. While reading their heroic stories, it's hard to imagine that many suffered horrendous deaths without hesitation, all for the sake of Christ and His church.

What would we do today if offered the choice of denouncing Christ or be sentenced to a cruel death?

Today we honor several such individuals who followed their Lord and Savior by making the ultimate sacrifice.

Saint Sixtus (Pope) and his Deacon companions are remembered today for their heroism.

Pope Sixtus was born in the early third century, Sixtus lived in a time of many changes in the Roman Empire. In 257, Emperor Valerian issued a decree, which mandated Christian clergymen sacrifice to the pagan gods or die. As a result, many Christians were put to death, including Pope Steven I. Sixtus was then secretly consecrated as Steven's successor.

One of Sixtus's important contributions as Pope was to make peace with the Churches in Asia Minor and northern Africa, where some bishops held that baptisms conferred by heretics were not valid, in contradiction to Church policy in Rome. His predecessor had been stern in trying to correct these bishops, but Sixtus was loving, and he managed to restore friendly relations.

Soon after Sixtus became Pope, Emperor Valerian issued an even stronger decree against Christians, ordering the execution of all Christian clergymen. On August 6, 258, Sixtus was addressing the congregation at a liturgical service in the private cemetery of Praextextatus, which was believed to be a safe haven.

Suddenly, imperial forces rushed in and seized the Pope. It is said that Sixtus refused to attempt an escape, even when the opportunity presented itself, for fear of initiating a massacre of the congregation.

Instead, he was beheaded immediately and was buried across the road in the Cemetery of St. Callistus. (Taken from Spirituality for Today)

Most of us (thank God!) will never have our lives put on the line for the sake of our faith. But each of us are asked to defend Christ in the world around us.

Remembering Pope Paul VI

2007-08-05T22:17:00.000-04:00

On August 6th, we remember the passing of Pope Paul VI in 1978. Since his death twenty nine years ago, opinions vary greatly on his accomplishments, successes and failures. Most notably, he was known as the Pope who guided the church during the concluding sessions of the Second Vatican Council, implemented Liturgical Reform (Novus Ordo) and issued one of the most controversial encyclicals in modern time: Human Vitae (Regulation of Birth).

In hindsight, we often forget that the church too was affected by the turbulent sixties. It was a time of protests and rallies.

It was a time when Politics and Governments were being questioned. It was a time of resentment over The Vietnam War.

Styles and fashions ushered in flowered shirts and bell bottom jeans. The music of the era was revolutionizing new sounds.

Paul VI was breaking new ground too. He was the first Pope to visit six continents. He was the first Pope to meet with the heads of various Orthodox churches. He worked diligently on improving relations with the Anglican church. He streamlined curial offices and simplified papal ceremonial rituals.

We can debate whether the problems and issues with the church were the direct result of Paul VI. I would recommend a quote from John XXIII for reflection. "See everything, overlook a great deal, improve a little." I believe that is exactly what Pope Benedict is doing. With a little patience and guidance from the Holy Spirit, He is striving to implement the reforms lead by Paul VI according to the true spirit of the Second Vatican Council.

What would Jesus Weigh?

2007-08-05T10:25:00.000-04:00

Today, while surfing the news I spotted the following headline that seemed rather odd. "What would Jesus Weigh." With one click, I decided to find out.

You've heard of faith-based initiatives. Now, perk up your ears and put down your fork. Faith-based weight loss is drawing converts in Buzz.

The Weigh Down Workshop looks to the lessons of the Bible to reduce waistlines and trim thighs. The program, which was designed by nutritionist Gwen Shamblin, has been around for years.

A Tennessee couple once jointly tipped the scale at nearly 1,000 pounds. They've lost more than half that heavy load by following the Weigh Down way.

The article reminded me of when I had cardiac stents implanted several years ago. The doctor ordered a low fat, low carbohydrate diet. When I returned home from the hospital a fellow parishioner visited with more than a Bible in hand. She had given me a few loaves of Ezekiel Bread. Much to my surprise, the bread was not only healthy but delicious too.

Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Products are inspired by the Holy Scripture verse (Ezekiel 4:9) "Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."

The bread was made by the folks over at Food for Life . Their recepies are not from Emeri or Rachel Ray. They come directly from the Bible.

If you are having trouble retaining a healthy lifestyle, take a walk to the Weigh Down Workshop or visit the Food for Life website. Together they can help add new meaning to the "Gospel of Life."

Some comforting words in the face of tragedy

2007-08-05T09:13:00.000-04:00

The following excerpts are taken from homilies preached at masses offered in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Once again in the face of tragedy, we can turn only to God who is the ultimate source of comfort, hope and love.

"We are brought home again to the reality today that we live life with a certain contingency, precariously," Father McDonough said during his homily. "Things that we trust, roads and bridges and so on, are subject, because all of life is subject, to failure.” "You can turn that into a message of fear," Father McDonough added.

"I don't want it to be that for me, and I hope it's not for you,” he said. “Rather, it's a reminder of how precious the day that we are given today is, the love that we live in today is, the gift of family and friends and, yes, work and play - how precious all of these things are."

Father McDonough suggested that everyone take the opportunity to let people in their lives know that they love them.

"Pick up the phone, pick up a pen, make contact with someone you love for no reason at all except to let them know that you love them," he said. "Live this day as a gift, and let others know how grateful you are that they are part of your life."

Joan Eskew, a parishioner of St. Leonard of Port Maurice in Minneapolis who attended the Mass, said that she relies on her faith to get her through difficult times.

"Heavens, yes, my faith helps me get through times like this," she said.

"You just have to believe it's for a reason. God wouldn't do this just to punish you,” she said. “I'm just praying for [those involved]."

St. Olaf pastor Father Mark Pavlik said that when he heard news of the collapse, he went to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where many injured people were being treated.

"It was a ministry of presence, to let people know that I'm there if they needed anything," Father Pavlik said.

"I think for a lot of people it's still so early in the process of grief that many are still in shock and want to talk to try to put their thoughts together,” he said. “I've been a listening ear, assuring them of God's love."

Father Pavlik said many people on the day following the tragedy were coming to the church to spend some quiet time in prayer.

"We're really an oasis of prayer here in the heart of the city," he said. "I think for many people this is an opportunity to realize the value of life and the frailty of life and how every day is a gift."

Us folks here in New York extend our heartfelt prayers to you in your moments of sorrow.

Hold on to your faith in God. All too often we call upon God only in our times of weakness, tragedy, defeat and sorrow. God is with us all the time and offers His grace to those who are willing to accept it.

(photo and story taken from Catholic Online)

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Does the person who dies with the most toys win?

2007-08-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

Many years before I had a bit of a conversion and entered Diaconate Formation, I was an avid collector of Lionel trains. I would travel the north east on weekends to attend train collector shows. Twice a year, I would visit the grand Mecca of train shows held at the York Fairgrounds in York Pennsylvania.

For an entire week thousands of people from all walks of life and from all over the world would gather to buy, sell or trade their collections. After many years of collecting, I had developed a vast network of friends throughout the country who would meet and pursue the latest variation or rarity on a regular basis. With the invention of the Internet and EBAY, more and more time would be consumed finding the diamond in the rough.

As our friendships developed, I got to know many of the collectors personally. One in particular who I will call David literally spent his entire day in pursuit of trains, trains and more trains. David had amassed such a collection, that he had to rent significant warehouse space to contain it.

David had a great engineering career and was married with two beautiful children. Unfortunately, he had little to no time for his family. David like many other collectors truly believed, “he who dies with the most toys, wins.”

David eventually lost his family in a bitter divorce. His wife and children wanted no part of him since his only interest was in his Lionel Train Collection. I have found many other collectors experiencing the same. Many such families suffered financially since the collector’s spending habits were much greater than their income.

At the same time this was happening, Tina and I were starting our own family and I knew I did not want to fall into the same trap myself. Thanks be to Almighty God, I was able to put the brakes on things well before they got to David’s level.

In reading today’s Gospel, it’s important for us to consider what things we need to gather and hoard in life? David had built his barn of trains just like the rich man’s barn of grain. When David’s final moment arrives can he take the warehouse of trains with him?

God is certainly not telling us to avoid having possessions. We need to have a good home and a good job to secure a good education for our children. With such rising costs of living and medical insurance we have to also think of our future as well.

With stress levels at an all time high, it’s okay to enjoy a hobby or two. It can be very comforting and relaxing. I still dabble with my Lionel trains from time to time. The difference is knowing when to draw the line before such interests become a devastating obsession.

Well, if we are find ourselves in a similar situation, we should begin to ask ourselves some important and life changing questions.

Do we allow our possessions, money and power consume us so much that we forget our spiritual well being?

Do we forget our families and friends in the process?

Do we forget those less fortunate around us?

Do we ever consider sharing our abundance with those who physically depend on others?

If you have ever gone to a Catholic Vigil Wake Service, one of the concluding prayers recited by a Priest or Deacon is the following: Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them.

We need to ask ourselves quite frequently, what good deeds are we storing on our way to the Kingdom of God?

Today, Jesus is telling us to store up treasures that are heaven bound. Jesus’ message is certainly challenging especially since our materialistic society can often turn us in the opposite direction.

Let’s us remember to recommit ourselves to God and store up time in prayer.

Let’s us store up some quality time with our families and friends.

Let's hoard some time for those who are less fortunate. Remember Jesus’ words, “when did you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visited the prisoner etc.”

The next time you see a homeless person or two on the street, rather than pass them by, consider buying them a cup of coffee and a buttered roll. Hand it to them with a smile and wish them God’s blessings. You might be surprised of the blessing you will receive in return.

St. John Marie Vianney – His heart was always in the right place

2007-08-03T22:50:00.000-04:00

About a year ago, the incorrupt heart of St. John Vianney left France for the second time in history and traveled to United States (Long Island, NY and Boston, Mass.). Boston’s Cardinal O’Malley as well as Fr. Charles Mangano of the Diocese of Rockville Center made the request to kick off a campaign to pray for an increase in vocations.

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. John Vianney also known as “Cure of Ars,” the Patron Saint of Priests. Why? St. John always felt a deep call in his heart to serve Jesus as a simple parish priest. Although he faced many obstacles to ordination, specifically his inability to master Latin, he struggled with books and tutors and was eventually ordained.

Helping souls find their way back to Christ has been his most remarkable accomplishment. His popularity characterized by his simplicity, patience, love and understanding caused him to spend anywhere between 12 – 16 hours a day hearing confessions. It has been documented that even the most hardened of sinners was converted at his mere word.

Catholic Online says, “Accustomed to the most sever austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested imperturbable patience. He was a wonderworker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to the day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ.”

John died on August 4, 1859 and was canonized on May 31, 1925.

St. John Vianney’s heart was always in the right place, ministering to those who needed to experience the mercy of Jesus. Today more than ever we not only need an increase in vocations to the priesthood but priests who can model themselves after St. John. We should also pray for ourselves too. May we desire to seek the healing presence of Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

(Photo: Shrine of St. John Marie Vianney in Ars, France)

You can check in at the Chapel before you board the plane.

2007-08-03T15:31:00.000-04:00

With security measures, ticket lines and carry-on luggage inspections at an all time high, would you believe passengers have enough time to enter a Chapel before their scheduled flight? Catholic News Service reports that Airport Chaplains are ministering to the flock on the move.

Can you find holiness at an airport? Father Michael Zaniolo thinks so. Father Zaniolo has been an airport chaplain at Midway and O'Hare International airports in Chicago for the past six years, so he's spent a lot of time meeting travelers from around the world and workers at the two airports.

From what he has seen, Father Zaniolo said, the presence of a chaplain and a chapel can bring comfort amid the stress and worry that travelers and workers often face. The Chicago archdiocesan priest celebrates Mass in the chapels at each airport and walks around the terminals, bringing "the presence of the church into a place where people never think of seeing the church."

"I've heard confessions in all sorts of little nooks and crannies, because I bring the chapel out to the people," he told Catholic News service in a phone interview. Although travelers through the airports are alerted to Masses over the public-address system, Father Zaniolo said his main outreach is to the people who work at the airports, because with their strange schedules, they often don't have time to go to Mass in their own parishes.

It's like having a very big, busy parish with a lot of people moving in and out," he said.

Father Gerard Walker, a New York archdiocesan priest, has been a chaplain at JFK airport for about a year and a half. Having a chapel and a chaplain at JFK, he said, is a luxury, but it's one that makes Catholics who come to the airport feel more comfortable.

"With the presence of the chaplain, they feel right at home," he told CNS. "So they might be from, I don't know where, someplace in Indiana, and they just march in and they are right at home."

Fellow Brooklynites, Did you know the our Diocese had once planned to build a grand Cathedral?

2007-08-03T08:12:00.000-04:00

Today, the New Liturgical Movement website reports that our Diocese had initial plans to build the Immaculate Conception Cathedral back around 1860.

We often forget the borough of Brooklyn was once a whole separate city, and the last hundred years of rule from downtown Manhattan is somewhat of a novelty in the great scheme of things. Indeed, had Bishop Loughlin had his way, Brooklyn would be the home to a behemoth cathedral that would have easily rivalled St. Pat's in sheer bulk.

The illustration above is of its facade --a somewhat clunky mid-century Victorian Gothic pile, not without a certain hefty charm.Robert A.M. Stern writes in his equally hefty (1,164 pages) New York 1880:

Far and away, the most ambitious church project undertaken in Brooklyn was the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, intended for the block bounded by Clermont, Greene, Vanderbilt, and Lafayette Avenues. A Pugin-inspired version of the Cathedral at Rouen, designed by Patrick C. Keely, it was to have been the second-largest cathedral in the country, exceeded only by New York's St. Patrick's [...], then under construction. [...]

The project was extremely ambitious given that the archdiocese had only been in existence for eight years when the site was acquired in 1860, but Bishop John Loughlin was deeply committed to the idea of the cathedral as a beacon for Catholicism in Protestant Brooklyn, as were many laypeople, forty thousand of whom showed up for the laying of the cornerstone on June 21, 1868.

Money soon ran low, and the walls had only creeped up a paltry ten feet before construction was halted. Only one of the church's six chapels, St. John, was completed. The walls and chapel remained until 1931, when they were bulldozed to build a high school named in honor of the late bishop. One of Loughlin's successors, incidentally, approached Westminster Cathedral designer John Francis Bentley (Keely having died) to figure out what to do with the Cathedral's foundations and stubby walls. Bentley himself visited Brooklyn and began drawings, but the British architect died before Bishop McDonnell could visit London to see the architect's work. The project was shelved, and now the only thing that remains on the site is the former Bishop's residence, now the chancery.

St. James Cathedral was the first church built on Long Island in Downtown Brooklyn in 1822. It continues to remain as the mother church for the Diocese. Although quite small, it has a charm and character all its own. Because of it's relatively small size, large Diocesan events, like our own Diaconate ordination had to be held at our much larger Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Sunset Park. Not having a Cathedral the size of St. Patrick's (in Manhattan) has not presented any problems or inconveniences. As a matter of fact, it shows the true spirit of one church when we host major events and celebrations around diocese.

Vocation Spot light: The Sisters of Life - My favorite Nuns

2007-08-02T21:49:00.000-04:00

Folks, just as you thought religious life was a thing of the past. Not so fast. There is a relatively new community of young (really young) women who wear a traditional habit, live in a convent and have a special affection for Christ in the Eucharist.

The Sisters of Life is a contemplative/ active religious community of women founded in 1991 by John Cardinal O’Connor for the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life. Like all religious communities, they take the three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They also are consecrated under a special, fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. Reverence and gratitude for the unique and unrepeatable gift of each human life made in the image and likeness of God fuels the prayer of each Sister.

Many of the Sisters have left extremely rewarding professional careers behind to join Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V. the Superior General to promote what JPII called "the Culture of Life."

The Sisters operate a Respite in Manhattan to care for women who opted not to have an abortion. The Sisters help these needy women during the most vulnerable stage of pregnancy. Once the child is born, the Sisters provide assistance that allows them to get adjusted as Christian parents and re-enter society.

The Sisters also support a daily crisis hot-line, speak at life seminars/conferences, operate a retreat center and the Dr. Joseph Stanton Human Life Issues Library. They also manage the Archdiocese's Family life ministry office and most of all, provide a healing touch for those women and men suffering the guilt and effects of an abortion.

Recently, the Sisters, through the generosity of over 50 young adults across the country built a simple wooden chapel on a new site intended for retreats and summer programs.

I have personally been blest to know and work with them for several years. They are full of fun, life and the Holy Spirit. Please pray that the Lord of the Harvest continues to send them prayerful, dedicated and loving women. For further information, please visit their website.

Does your parish need to see the doctor?

2007-08-02T08:47:00.000-04:00

Although the Catholic population has been increasing steadily, the number of active parishioners seems to be diminishing. I have visited several local parishes recently whose pastors are quite concerned that the pews are no longer filled with active parishioners. As their congregation ages, new parishioners are not filling the seats once occupied by those who have gone to the other side of life.

In addition, many of the local Evangelical Churches are now being filled with former Catholics.

My brother Deacon, Greg Kandra posts a great article concerning Hispanics leaving the Catholic Church to join Pentecostal communities.

Maybe it's time we find out why? Do we as "church" ever ask ourselves, what are we doing right? What areas do we need to improve? Are we reaching out to our young, diverse, marginalized and aged?

Well a group of Long Island Church's are seeing the doctor, the Gallup Poll Faith Division.

Catholic News Service Reports: Seven Long Island parishes are giving themselves a spiritual checkup -- conducting surveys to find out how actively engaged their parishioners are. "It's like going to a doctor," said Marie Guido, stewardship coordinator at St. Gerard Majella Church in Port Jefferson Station. "You get your vital signs checked to see where you're doing good and what you need to work on."

Working with the Gallup Organization, those parishes met earlier this summer at Our Lady of Grace Church in West Babylon to discuss the findings of the survey that each has taken of their parishioners and to begin planning ways to draw parishioners into more active engagement. St. Gerard's has been conducting "membership engagement" surveys since 2001. The other parishes are new to the process.

Al Winseman, global leader for Gallup's Faith Practices division, referred to a book that Gallup has published about how parishes and other congregations have been able to use the survey. "St. Gerard's here on Long Island is one chapter. They're one of our success stories."

You may want to schedule a visit with the Gallup's Faith Practices Division. The key to success lies in fact that parishioners need to feel their spiritual leaders care about them.

There are no easy steps to follow in relationship building; you cannot force relationships.

However, there are some things you can do to create a climate that fosters caring relationships:

Do not fake it. Caring must be sincere.

Tell people you care -- don't assume that they know.

Individualize. Make it a priority to get to know your people.

Be consistent. Consistency leads to trust, and trust is the foundation of caring.

Members of faith communities want to know that they are valued, not just for what they can do, but also for who they are individually. When you show an interest in your members' interests, ask about their hopes and dreams and tell them, "I care about your spiritual growth," they will feel valued. And feeling valued is an important component of engagement.

New Vatican Website experiences heavy traffic!

2007-08-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

The Catholic News Agency reports: The General Secretary of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, Bishop Renato Boccardo, said that since its launch, the Vatican City’s new website www.vaticanstate.va “received 13 million hits during the first three days.”

“The objective of this site is to offer a good service to pilgrims and tourists,” the bishop explained. “Therefore I think it is necessary to use the modern means, as was always the desire of John Paul II and now Benedict XVI,” he said.

“We are in the heart of Vatican City State, called the ‘Governorate.’ This is where the administration of this small State is. This is also where the server for the new site is,” he continued.

The new site’s webmaster, Eugenio Hasler, said, “The Vatican is very complex. Its interior is divided into sectors. We have, for example, the Holy See, the State, etc. Therefore we thought that we would present these facts through the new website in order to provide information about the departments, sectors and officials that are here.”

“This is something new for the Vatican and it has attracted many people. Its one of the reasons the site has had so many visitors,” Hasler said.

Go out into the world and preach the Gospel, use Movie Theater Ads if necessary!

2007-08-01T21:27:00.000-04:00

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has a new twist on St. Francis' "go into the world and preach the gospel..." message. The Archdiocese has launched a new ad campaign to aid ailing Catholic Schools. This is not the first time Cardinal Justin Rigali utilized the mass media. This year, the Cardinal posted Lenten messages on Youtube to reach young catholics.

It has already been using banner ads on city buses and broadcasting radio ads as well.

Forbes.com reports: Archdiocese spokesperson Donna Farrell said, "Dioceses across the country are facing challenges," We are no different."

Its 30-second commercials have been running on 264 movie theater screens in the region since July 6. The ad will appear only on screens showing movies rated G, PG or PG-13, Farrell said.

"That is something we would be very careful about," she said.

Enrollment at the archdiocese's Catholic elementary schools has dropped from 78,921 students to 62,559 over the past six years, while high school enrollment declined from 23,249 to 20,749 during the same period.

St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori – A doctor of the Church and the pride of Neapolitans

2007-07-31T22:00:00.000-04:00

The second powerhouse of faith we celebrate today is the founder of the Redemptorist Congregation, St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori. He was born in 1696 near Naples, Italy. His parents, devout Catholics were from Italian and Hispanic decent. An adolescent genius, he received a doctorate degree by the age of sixteen.

Although he practiced law for a few years, he realized that he was unhappy with the secular world. His life changed after a visit to a local hospital of incurables in 1723. He had a vision and was told to consecrate himself to the religious life. He answered God’s call even though his family opposed.

His congregation was an association of priests and religious brothers living a common life, preaching missions for peasants in rural areas. He suffered many trials and tribulations with his order. At one time he was deserted by all except one religious brother. Alphonsus was not shaken by these turn of events and quickly began to recruit new members.

Alphonsus’ greatest pastoral reforms were in the pulpit and the confessional. His simplicity and patience won over converts. Someone once remarked, “It is a pleasure to listen to your sermons; you forget about yourself and preach Jesus Christ.”

For many years, he fed the poor, instructed families, reorganized seminary and religious houses and taught theology. He was a caring pastor. He knew that his fellow Neapolitans loved music so he composed religious hymns for them. Being Neapolitan myself, my favorite is his Christmas Carol entitled, “Tu scendi dalle stelle,” which translates, “You came down from the stars.”

Not only was he a doctor of the church and eventually bishop, but he was also a canon and civil lawyer, a painter, poet, musician, architect and author of more than one hundred books. He is considered one of the greatest moral theologians and spiritual writers in the history of the church.

American Catholic writes, “He was known above all as a practical man who dealt in the concrete rather than the abstract. His life is indeed a practical model for the everyday Christian life amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstandings and failure. Alphonsus suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to maintain an intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it all.”

As we think of our own problems, issues and ailments, it’s comforting to know that we call upon St. Alphonsus to intercede on our behalf. St. Alphonsus is the patron saint for confessors, moral theologians and people suffering from arthritis and rheumatism.

Bouna festa a tutti Neapolitani!!

Saint Ignatius of Loyola - A soldier for Christ & defender of the faith

2007-07-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

This week, the church celebrates three powerhouses of faith. Today, we remember St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). A man who accomplished great things for God's greater glory (ad majorem Dei gloriam)

Pope Benedict recently said, "Ignatius as a being, above all a man of God, who gave the first place of his life to God... a man of profound prayer."

He was born of nobility in northern Spain in the year 1491. He was the youngest of thirteen children. At the age of 30, he was a military officer defending the fortress town of Pamplona against a French invasion. Although the Spaniards were outnumbered, he insisted on defending the honor of Spain. He was wounded in battle by being struck by a cannon ball in both legs. Rather than being sent to prison he was able to recuperate at his home.

God certainly had other plans for Ignatius. Although near death, his condition finally improved. While recuperating, he began to read about the life of Christ and the saints, especially St. Francis and St. Dominic. He soon found it worthy to imitate their virtues. This was the beginning of his conversion journey and the development of his famous spiritual exercises.

Eventually he tossed aside his quest for fame and fortune. Like many other saints before him, he wanted to travel to Jerusalem to live where the Lord lived. He gave up his sword before an altar to the Virgin Mary and took a vow of chastity and studied for the priesthood. He teamed up with Francis Xavier, Peter Farber as well as other companions. They traveled to Rome to offer their priestly service to Pope Paul III who approved their society. Ignatius wanted his order to pledge obedience to the Pope and agreed to send his companions wherever they were needed. Ignatius remained in Rome directing the various activities of his new found order.

The new found order focused on three activities. They founded schools throughout Europe, they converted non Christians to Catholicism and stopped Protestantism from spreading throughout Europe. Today, the Society is characterized by its ministries in the fields of missionary work, human rights, social justice, and most notably, higher education.

What can we learn from St. Ignatius? "Do not let any occasion of gaining merit pass without taking care to draw some spiritual profit from it." Ignatius was a true mystic. He centered his spiritual life on the essential foundations of Christianity - the Trinity, Christ and the Eucharist. A man of deep prayer and contemplation, he desired only to please his Lord and Master.

Do children want to play outside anymore?

2007-07-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

As a youngster growing up in the mid sixties to early seventies, we could not wait to go outside and play in the school yard after classes were dismissed. We were very fortunate we had a great pastor, the late Fr. Arthur Lattanzi, OFM who was a true sports fanatic. He made sure the school yard was always open and indoor gym available for organized games and sports. He even ensured that the gym's basement bowling alley was available for parents too.

Whether it was whiffle ball (you know what that is?) roller hockey, basketball or just plain old handball, the kids in the neighborhood always had an opportunity to play outside and socialize with each other. Those of us in the city had opportunities to go to summer camp to learn how to swim, fish and bike ride.

Today, things are much different. There are not many Fr. Arthur's around and besides, kids prefer to play xbox, ninetendo, computer games or listen solo to their IPODS. What about building social skills and learning how to play sports outside for the fun of it? What about exploring nature and discovering God's handiwork in all creation?

Catholic News Service reports: How many programs does it take to get kids to play outside?Time will tell as leaders from local and federal governments, businesses and nature advocacy groups bend over backward to come up with ways to get today's overstimulated, over scheduled and frequently plugged-in youths to rediscover the lost art of just being outside.

The movement is not about promoting playground visits or organized sports, of which there is no apparent shortage. Instead, it's pushing the idea that time in nature -- even in an urban setting -- can provide crucial physical, psychological and, as religious leaders point out, spiritual benefits. Getting young people outside almost seems like an attempt to turn back the clock to a time before video games and instant messaging, when kids spent carefree hours exploring streams, navigating back roads on their bikes, building tree houses or catching fireflies. It was also, coincidentally, a time when obesity and diabetes were not at epidemic proportions among young people.

Folks, it's time we reinvent the outdoors, even in urban settings. Children need to develop good interactional skills, learn about nature and enjoy good fellowship. Hours spent in front of the television and computer prevent them from ever exploring open space outside their bedrooms. Parents, by re-discovering the outdoors with our children, we might learn a thing or two ourselves.