A New Year Dawns!

We are preparing ourselves to bring in a new year, 2011. It is amazing how time continues to fly by. Today, December 31, calls us to be thankful and reflective. We need to thank God for the gifts and blessings that have been bestowed upon us in 2010 and to seek forgiveness for the times that we failed. On January 1, 2011, we will begin a new year of grace and hope. Let us be open to the graces and blessings that God will bestow upon us in this coming year. Like our Blessed Mother Mary, whose motherhood we will celebrate on January 1, let us be models to our brothers and sisters as we listen to the Good News, but also put that Good News into practice. We are to make Christ known to everyone we meet. Our Lady is also the Queen of Peace and on January 1 we mark the World Day of Prayer for Peace. We pray that peace will reign in this new year. Of course, for peace to be made known in the world, it has to begin with us. Thank you God for all that You have done for us in this year about to end. May we acknowledge Your presence at all times and be strengthened with a renewed faith and hope as this new year dawns. Have a Happy and Blessed beginning to the New Year!!!

The Presentation!!!

The gospel passage from Wednesday, Luke 2:22-35, and from Thursday, Luke 2:36-40, depict the presentation of Jesus in the temple. As we were told, the parents of Jesus brought him to the temple to do what is written in the law of the Lord. Coming into the temple they first encounter the prophet Simeon who has been waiting for this day. Simeon says, "Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." He also gives prophecy to Mary, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Then today, the prophetess Anna appears and she has also been waiting for this day, "She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem." As the newborn King was welcomed by Simeon and Anna in the temple, so may we welcome him into our lives, our hearts. Jesus is the promised Messiah, may we always prepare the way for his coming and may we be presented to the Father when our journey has concluded. God Bless You!!!

Family Time!!!

In light of our celebration of the Holy Family this past Sunday, I thought it would be good to have some family time during this Christmas Season. I am doing that right now, since I was not able to be with my family on Christmas Day. I will be back to regular blogs later this week. Keeping all readers in prayer!!! God Bless You!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

"Glory to God in the highest, peace to people on earth." The great song of the angels as the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, was announced. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds that he brought news of great joy for in the city of David, Bethlehem, a child had been born who is both Savior and Lord. That Good News was proclaimed at our Christmas Masses. I pray that news will continue to touch your lives and hearts in a very special way. May the joy and peace of this Christmas Season be with you. Know that you are remembered in the Masses I offer and my prayers during this Christmas Season! Have a Blessed Christmas Day!!!

Christmas Eve!!!

We have arrived at the eve of the Solemnity of Christmas! In a few hours people will be heading for church to celebrate this glorious feast. I have three Masses to offer, one in each of the three parishes of Washington County. Last year we were receiving our share of snow and right before the Masses started the snow really came down. This year the weather is looking up. There is no snow, but some slick spots with the little drizzle that we had. I pray that everyone will be safe as they travel, not only to church, but to be with family, friends, and loved ones. Jesus Christ is the "Reason for this Season." He needs to be an important part of our daily lives. Let us renew our faith, trust, and love for Jesus, the newborn King, as we celebrate this great solemnity. Have a blessed day and a joyous Christmas Eve!!!

The Herald!

Our gospel today, Luke 1:57-66, is the birth of John the Baptist, the herald, the forerunner of the Messiah. We remember that John's father, Zechariah, was struck mute because of his disbelief at the angel's message. When he writes to the people gathered for John's circumcision that the boy's name will be John, his speech is returned. As the commentary states, "Lo, I am sending my messenger. The divine destiny of the Baptist resounds in the conviction of his mother's voice: 'He will be called John.' Elizabeth and Zechariah recognize in this infant the one who 'shows sinners the way.' The friendship of the Lord is with us - the new covenant" (Magnificat, 321). John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. He is the herald of the Good News and we are called to do the same in our own lives. Let us continue to do our part as we prepare to welcome the newborn King on the glorious feast of Christmas. Have a blessed day!!!

A Hymn of Thanks!

Everyday is Thanksgiving Day! All that we have is a gift from God and we are to be thankful in every way, every day. The Blessed Virgin Mary is a beautiful example of thanksgiving. In the gospel today, Luke 1:46-56, it is a continuation of Mary's visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. As we know, Elizabeth sang the praises of Mary and the baby in her womb, while her own baby, John the Baptist lept for joy in her own womb. What we have in this gospel passage from Luke is Mary's Magnificat, her prayer of thanksgiving for what God had done in her life. Mary said at the very beginning, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, for the Almighty has done great things for me" (Lk 1:46). Many generations have called Mary blessed and she is because the word spoken by the angel of the Lord has come true. Mary is indeed the Blessed Virgin Mother of God's only Son, Jesus. Through Jesus, we have received the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life. Mary's "Yes" to God's will is another beautiful example for us. Like Mary, let us always be thankful for the gifts that God bestows upon us, and may our thanks always be a hymn of praise. Have a blessed day!!!

Witnesses of Jesus

An interesting observation was given by one of the commentaries for the Mass readings today. The gospel reading was from Saint Luke, 1:39-45. That passage detailed the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. The observation was made like this, "Mary Magdalene was the first person to see and recognize Jesus after he rose from the dead. She was the first person to announce the resurrection to the other disciples and, for this reason, has merited the title of 'Apostle to the Apostles.' We see in today's gospel reading from Saint Luke that Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, was the first person to recognize the greatness of Mary's child. Joseph, as Saint Luke informs us, did not recognize who Mary's child was, but had to be told this by an angel in a dream. Consequently Elizabeth merits the title of the First of Jesus' Disciples (after Mary, of course)" (Loose Leaf Lectionary, 189). Amazing how these two women, Elizbeth and Mary Magdalene, were witnesses of our Lord, one before his birth, the other after his resurrection. They witness the importance of these two events, the Incarnation and the Resurrection. That is why they are great solemnities to celebrate every year because this is our salvation history. Jesus came to save us from our sins and give us the hope of eternal life. Like Elizabeth and Mary Magdalene, may we continue to be witnesses of Jesus in the world and in our communities as we await his glorious return. Have a blessed day!!!

A Clean Bill!

I have just returned from taking my mother to Kansas City for a follow up visit with the surgeon who did her colon surgery. Everything looks good and he gave mom a clean bill of health. Great news is that the part of the colon of that was removed, a little over a foot, had some areas of concern, but none were malignant. After her surgery however, she had trouble with her heart and oxygen level, so they are still working on that. Thankfully, everything else has checked out and she has returned home to be with my dad who stayed there and was by himself for almost two weeks. Christmas has come early in the form of good news and that life for our family is getting back to normal. In the midst of all that has transpired over the last few weeks with my family, I ask myself, "What happened to Advent?" We are in the fourth week and hopefully we will make the most of these final days as we prepare for the Solemnity of Christmas. Peace to you!!!

A Lasting Call!

There is a phrase that has been passed down through the centuries and it speaks volumes for all generations. The phrase, "Do not be afraid." The angel Gabriel would use that phrase when he brought a message from God. That is true with the gospel we will listen to for this weekend, Matthew 1:18-24. Joseph, being a just and upright man, was going to divorce Mary because she was found to be with child. However, in a dream, the angel assured Joseph that it was by the power of the Holy Spirit that this child was conceived. The angel told him, "Do not be afraid." Gabriel said the same thing to Mary at the Annunciation, "Do not be afraid." Jesus would tell his disciples to not be afraid. Even the Venerable John Paul II would say to people around the world, "Do not be afraid." That right there is a message of hope. We are told to not be afraid because God has everything under control. The world, our lives, are in the hand of God and we have nothing to fear because God will take care of us. May this call to not be afraid live in our minds and hearts and may we always share that call, that message of hope with others. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Unforgettable Advent!

I use this title because I am reminded of the phrase once again, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." I had plans for making this a meaningful Advent, but I can say that it will be a memorable one. It was a little over a month ago that my mom had her annual test that revealed that she needed colon surgery because an area had gotten worse from a year ago. It will soon be a week ago that she had her surgery and on Tuesday she was able to leave the hospital and now she is in a swing bed to get her strength back. The surgery was done in Kansas City. Before Advent and since Advent began, quite a few trips have been made to Kansas City, but I will say drive time makes for good prayer time. Maybe I had visions of prayer time in church or my private chapel, but God had other plans, and that always works too because it shows that God is in control and He knows what is best for us. I know this is an Advent that my family won't forget and it shows to always be prepared for the unexpected and that is what Advent is about, being prepared and ready for the coming of the Lord. As I have said with our key word for this Advent, "We live in HOPE." Let us continue to make the most of this Advent Season as we get closer to the glorious Solmenity of Christmas. God Bless You!!!

Saint Lucy

Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Lucy. As the entrance antiphon for Mass states: "This holy woman fought to the death for the law of her God, never cowed by the threats of the wicked; her house was built on solid rock." Saint Lucy is an Advent saint because of her longing to see the Lord. One of the commentators writes, "Saint Lucy is said to have chosen blindness rather than betrayal of the Lord she loved and longed to see" (Magnificat, 176). Her hope and faith were not diminished by her suffering courage. As we do during this Advent Season, Saint Lucy lived and waited with joyful hope for the coming of her Lord and being able to see her Lord one day. Hope is a key word that I have been using in my homilies during this Advent Season. Now, being in the Third Week of Advent, it is a joyful hope because of our rejoicing on Gaudete Sunday. We are waiting with faith, hope, patience, perseverance for the coming of our Lord, not just at Christmas, but at the end of time. Let us live with the light of faith to guide us and may Saint Lucy intercede for us as we continue our journey! Have a blessed day!!!

Rejoice in the Lord!!!

The entrance antiphon for this Third Sunday of Advent says, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near" (Phil.4:4,5). This third Sunday is traditionally known as "Gaudete Sunday," which means to rejoice. We are halfway through the Advent Season and we need to rejoice because the Lord is coming soon. As I have written before, Advent is a joyful time, but it is also a penitential time as we prepare for the Lord's birth. Of course, we can rejoice in God's gift of forgiveness and that is what we receive each time we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I hope you will take the time over the next couple weeks to participate in the sacrament when it is held in your parishes. It is a wonderful time to be reconciled with God and one another and prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. Have a blessed weekend and let us always rejoice in the Lord! Peace!!!

Thankfulness!

I want to thank everyone who reads the daily blog for the prayers that you offered for my mother. She came through surgery with no major problems or complications. According to the surgeon it looks like the removed part of her colon is inflammation but they are sending it to the lab just to make sure. She will probably be in the hospital for about 3 days. It was definitely a long day. She was given 3 different times when the surgery could occur and none of them happened. The final time was 1:00 p.m. and when the waiting room desk informed me that the procedure had begun it was 2:30 p.m. The surgery took about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I can say for my mom and myself, it was a day to make sure our patience was up to par. Thankfully, everything for now is complete and it is the recovery process that will take time. Again, thank you for your prayers during this time. Always know that you are remembered in my prayers. I pray for your loved ones who may be sick or facing surgery. The power of prayer truly works so make the most of each day to use this beautiful gift. God Bless You!!!

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception!

Happy, Joyous Feastday! This is the day that we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary. The belief of Mary being immaculately conceived had been passed down throughout the centuries but it was made official Church teaching in 1854. Here is the infallible statement given by Pope Pius IX: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin" (St. Anthony Messenger Press). The gospel (Luke 1:26-38) spoke about the Annunciation and the angel Gabriel visiting Mary to announce the good news that she would be the mother of God's only Son. After questioning how this could be, Mary totally gave herself to the will of God and said "Yes!" Her example is a great one for us. We have been called to be disciples and to follow the Lord totally with our own lives. What an awesome thought to know that our lives are in God's hands. Like the angel said to Mary, "Do not be afraid!" That same phrase of encouragement is given to us as we live our lives and our faith. Let us turn to our Blessed Mother and seek her prayers and intercession as we continue our journey to the kingdom. God Bless You!!!

P.S. This is a message that we can use for a couple days. I will be away from the blog for a day. My mother is having surgery on Thursday December 9. Please keep her and our family in your prayers! Peace!!!

Saint Ambrose

Today's feast of Saint Ambrose has a special meaning because like the gospel, Matthew 18:12-14, Saint Ambrose was a shepherd who went in search of the lost sheep. It is said that he had a great love for his people. In imitating the Good Shepherd, we are to love our people, care for them, and be a good example to them. That meaning is enhanced by the commentary that says, "The scandal of the Gospel is symbolized in the man who prefers to go in search of the sole stray sheep rather than tend tot he stayed-put ninety-nine. If we dare to look beyond our self-contentment, we realize how much we are all like that one estranged, imperiled sheep; our burning hope is for a Shepherd who will come just for us"
(Magnificat,101). As pastors and shepherds, we pray that Saint Ambrose will intercede for us and help us in our ministry to always be those shepherds who take care of the sheep and go after those who have strayed. God Bless!!!

Saint Nicholas

Happy Saint Nicholas Day to everyone! Just got home from the Knights of Columbus weekend and taking time to relax. Will get back to the blog as we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday. It is a holy day of obligation so be sure and get to Mass, either the Vigil on Tuesday evening or the Day on Wednesday. God Bless you!!!

Second Sunday of Advent!

This Second Sunday of Advent finds me at the Knights of Columbus Mid-Year District Deputy meeting. As State Father Prior, I am able to keep a close relationship with the Knights of Columbus in Kansas since I am the Past State Chaplain. Being State Father Prior, I am able to work with our young people who are Columbian Squires and hoping to be Knights of Columbus in the future. During May and June of 2010, all First Degrees in the Knights of Columbus were done in my honor as State Chaplain. At the Saturday evening banquet I was presented with a book containing the names of those who joined the Order during that time. It was a wonderful gesture and very thoughtful. On this Second Sunday of Advent we see John the Baptist appear in the desert preaching a message of repentance. The message to turn away from sin and turn back to God is one that we need to live everyday. We are preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ, not only at Christmas but at the end of time. Let us listen to the voice of God in our lives and follow where He leads us as we continue our journey towards the kingdom. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Saint Francis Xavier

We take the memorial of Saint Francis Xavier today. According to the Magnificat magazine, "Saint Francis Xavier is an Advent saint: he announced the dawn of the reign of God in the coming of Christ to peoples in the Far East. Like Saint John the Baptist, the Advent prophet, he sacrificed his life for the word he preached"
(49). This is the joy of the Advent Season, preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord. In our own way, we have the opportunity to preach this Good News, not only with words, but with our very lives, like Saint Francis Xavier. As we celebrate Francis Xavier, saint and missionary, let us pray for his intercession that we may truly prepare the way for the Lord. Have a blessed day!!!

Built on Rock!

Today in the gospel, Matthew 7:21,24-27, Jesus tells us to do the will of the Father. We live the will of God by doing this, "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." Nothing was able to destroy the house built on rock and the same is true when we build our lives on the rock of Christ. As the daily commentator writes, "All those who listen to Christ's words become rock-solid in their life. Because his Word is life. The Lord himself is an eternal Rock. When we trust him, that is, when we are attentive and obedient to his Word as opposed to our own ideas, feelings, and preconceptions, we are given the 'firm purpose' we crave that keeps us in peace" (Magnificat, 41). During this Advent Season, let us continue to build our lives, our house on solid Rock, who is Christ, and live the will of the Father each day! God Bless You!!!

New Beginnings!

This morning at the Mass for our Catholic School students I asked them what the word "Advent" means. I received several answers but the one that I used was "preparing for the coming of the Lord." Of course, Advent or "Adventus" means "Coming." We are preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord, not only at Christmas, but ultimately at the end of time. Advent is our new year, the beginning of the new liturgical year, but it is also a new beginning for us. Even though Advent is a joyful time it is still a penitential time, a time to look at our relationship with God and with others. During this holy season, we put an emphasis on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and invite people to truly prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we encounter the love, mercy, healing, and forgiveness of God. It is a time to turn away from sin, turn back to God, and believe in the Good News. A new beginning, that is the joy of this Season of Advent. Let us make the most of this time that God has given to us and do what we can to live holy, faithful, prayerful, and dedicated lives. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Andrew

As we begin this Advent Season, we pause to celebrate the Feast of Saint Andrew, an apostle of the Lord and brother to Saint Peter. I love the gospel for our feast today, Matthew 4:18-22. The gospel talks about Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee and he sees Andrew and Simon Peter casting their nets. Our Lord calls to them and they drop everything and follow him. The same occurred a little bit later when Jesus spots James and his brother John. They were cleaning their nets with their father Zebedee. Jesus called them a they left everything behind to follow him. It seems like there was no hesitancy in any of these early apostles. They heard the call of our Lord and immediately left what they knew and followed after him. One of the commentators asks this question, "What made Andrew leave his nets immediately and follow Jesus?" The answer is: "Faith comes from what is heard." Christ beckons, "Come after me..." His promise transformed the possibilities of Andrew's life (Magnificat, 401). Just think what the Lord can do for our lives when we commit ourselves to following him. It takes faith, grace, and trust, and the Lord provides us with all those gifts and so much more. Let us ask Saint Andrew to intercede for us and help us to heed the Lord's call and follow after him. God Bless You!!!

I HOPE so!

There is a phrase that we use a lot in our everyday language. Whenever we plan something or want something to happen, we usually say, "I hope so." As one person reminds me every time we talk, "We live in hope." We have received the gift of hope and it is a gift that we can pray for everyday. Like one commentator writes, "At the beginning of Advent, the Lord reminds us that the horizons of God's promised kingdom are vast indeed. He created all peoples for his glory, and he will draw them all to himself. Let us not set narrow borders to our hope for his promised peace, the healing of all the wounds of sin that divide us" (Magnificat, 396). Hope has no boundaries, so we should not set narrow borders to our hope. The gift of hope is what we pray for during this Advent Season because we know our Savior is coming soon. Have a blessed day and no matter what we encounter in life, let us always live in hope! God Bless!!!

HOPE!!!

Happy New Year as we begin the Advent Season. This is the time for us to live and wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. As someone told me after one of our weekend Masses, "Hope is a small word but it has a lot of power." Hope is my focus during the Advent Season. This January, the Diocese of Salina, Kansas, will begin the Pastoral Plan named, "Stewards of Hope." We are all stewards and we need to be a people of hope. As another person always reminds me, "We live in hope." There are so many examples of hope that we can find and some happen to be right in front of us. Our different experiences in life can be a testament of hope. Like faith, we can share the hope that we have with our brothers and sisters. My prayer for you today and this Advent is that the gift of hope will be yours and may it be a gift that we live and share each day. Have a blessed Sunday!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know you might be saying that I missed the Thanksgiving greeting by one day. I apologize because after the morning Mass for Thanksgiving Day I headed home and relaxed the rest of the day after a wonderful meal, thanks Mom! As I told the people who attended our Thanksgiving Masses on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, everyday is Thanksgiving Day. Yes, we gather one day a year or one weekend a year as family and friends to give thanks for God's blessings in our lives, but each and every day is a day of Thanksgiving. In our time of prayer and interactions with others, we need to be thankful because all that we have comes from God. Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! Let us always be thankful for what God has done for us in our lives. Blessings to you all!!!

The Vietnamese Martyrs

Today is the Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung Lac and his companions. It was during the 16th Century that the Gospel of Christ was first sown among the Vietnamese people and this seed grew through the blood of the martyrs. In the 17th, 18th, 19th Centuries, many Christians received the martyrs crown especially bishops, priests, religious men and women, and members of the laity. All of these suffered torments of various kinds for their Christian faith and fidelity to the cross of Christ, and bore witness to Christ's Church and true religion. Our beloved Holy Father, Venerable John Paul II on June 19, 1988, declared 117 martyrs to be among the ranks of the saints (Magnificat, 328). We look to these holy men and women and we ask their intercession as we continue our journey of faith. May we do what we can to live our faith to the fullest, stay close to the cross of Christ, and continue the mission of the Church entrusted to us. God Bless You!!!

Taking Care of Parents!

Thank God for the gift of parents. They are the ones who bring you into the world- care for you, love you, nurture you, and so many other gifts and qualities. It is tough to see your parents as they age and get hit with different infirmities. In my bio, I tell people that I am an only child, which was not easy growing up, but as you get older, you get used to it, and of course God does His part by bringing other people into our lives to love, care, guide, and support us. Still, you have to do your part to help your parents. As one person told me recently, we end up "parenting our parents." My dad has dealt with alzheimer's for the last few years and thankfully can still function and live at home. My mom has dealt with ulcerative colitis for over 20 years and there have been no major flare ups until now. She will be facing surgery in the next couple of weeks to remove a bad section from the colon. I ask you to keep my folks in your prayers! It is also a good reminder for us to take care of ourselves. We have people in the medical profession to help us and provide what is necessary to stay healthy and well. Each day is thanksgiving as we thank God for the gifts that He has given to us. Let us always take care of the gifts we have received and use them for the glory of God! Have a blessed day!!!

Re-Dedication!!!

Today at the Mass for our Catholic School students, I talked about the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, even though it was the day before. We have had new servers at our Masses this week and they have been pretty nervous. I told them about my nervous experience as a server. It happened to be at the dedication Mass for our new parish church when I was growing up. That was a very important Mass and we had to make sure we were ready to do what was asked of us. I told the students that a dedication Mass is a very beautiful ceremony because we are dedicating a new building to the praise and worship of God. It is also a good time to re-dedicate ourselves to the mission entrusted to us because we are the church, the living stones. We are sent forth to proclaim the Good News each time we celebrate Mass. We celebrate these beautiful dedication Masses but let us always be mindful to dedicate and re-dedicate all that we do in our lives for the glory of God. Have a blessed day!!!

Basilicas of St. Peter & St. Paul

Two of the four major basilicas in Rome have a special feast day today. The Universal Church remembers the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Peter and the Basilica of Saint Paul, Outside the Walls. These two saints are very important and wherever you look in Rome, you see the two together. Saint Peter was the first pope of the church and Saint Paul became one of the church's great evangelizers. It is not often that the Catholic Church marks the dedication of a church, unless it has special significance. Earlier this month, the church celebrated the Feast of the Lateran Basilica, the Mother Church of Christendom. Even though we call to mind the structures that have been built for the praise and worship of God, we cannot forget that the church is made up of people, the living stones. Perhaps these feast days are a call for us to re-dedicate ourselves to living our faith to the fullest and continuing the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us. May Saint Peter and Saint Paul intercede for us as we journey towards the Kingdom of God. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

This November 17 is the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. Saint Elizabeth was born in 1207 and was the daughter of Andrew, the King of Hungary. She married Louis, Landgrave of Thuringia and they had three children. She devoted herself to prayer and meditation. Following her husbands death, she embraced a life of poverty and erected a hospital in which she served the sick. Saint Elizabeth died in 1231 (Magnificat, 246). The opening prayer for the Mass today says that the Father helped Elizabeth of Hungary to recognize and honor Christ in the poor of the world. Our prayer is that Saint Elizabeth's intercession will help us to serve our brothers and sisters in time of need and trouble. We are to see the face of Christ in one another. Let us pray that Saint Elizabeth of Hungary will intercede for us and help us to imitate Christ as we reach out in service to others. Have a blessed day!!!

God's Plan!

Are you familiar with the saying, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." There is a lot of truth in that because God knows what is best for us and it is in Him that we put our faith and trust. This comes to mind as we think about the blog from Monday where we cannot predict the future or the end of the world. Only God knows the day and the hour. However, there are some things that we can think about. These following items come from the Saint Anthony Messenger Press, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 14, 2010: 1) Life is hard - even for disciples; 2) What matters most is not following my Plan A exactly but rather following God's plan generously; 3) The Holy Spirit helps us to follow God's plan. Jesus calls each of us to be his disciples and he tells us to pick up our cross and follow him. Our Lord did not tell us what crosses we would have to carry in life but he assures us that he is with us at all times. Let us continue to pray for one another and encourage one another in our journey of life and faith as we follow the plan that God has for us. God Bless You!!!

The Here and Now!

This title is very appropriate because there are people who try to predict when the world is going to end. Only God knows the day and the hour, so there is no need to try and figure it out ourselves. Instead, we need to make the most of the time that God has given us in the here and now. Several things from this past weekend that I used in my homily: 1) "Christian life is to focus on the here and now and that will require strength and faith. The teaching of Jesus does not offer us a way to predict the end of the world. Instead, the teaching of Jesus provides his followers with the spiritual resources needed to cope with the adversity and hardship that is part of life in the here and now." 2) "According to Jesus, a successful follower is not one who can predict the future. The authentic follower of Jesus is the one who lives out Jesus' call for love and obedience in the here and now and who perseveres until the end" (St. Anthony Messenger Press, Homily Helps). This is the key, to live in the present moment and to continue to do what we can in building up the Kingdom of God in our midst, as we await the full reality of the kingdom to be revealed in God's time. Have a blessed day!

Saint Josaphat

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Josaphat. He was born in Ukraine of Orthodox parents about the year 1580. Embracing the Catholic faith, he became a Basilian monk. Once ordained to the priesthood and becoming a bishop, he worked faithfully for the unity of the Church. Enemies plotted his death and he was martyred in 1623 (Magnificat, 159). We pray for the unity that Saint Josaphat faithfully and tirelessly worked for. Jesus even prayed that we may all be one. That is still a constant prayer and work among all peoples, that we will be united and live as the one body of Christ. May Saint Josaphat intercede for us and help us always to work for the good of the Church and the unity of all. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Leo the Great!

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Leo the Great. It is said that he was probably born in Rome and became Pope in 440. He was a true pastor and father of souls. He labored strenuously to safeguard the integrity of the faith and vigorously defended the unity of the Church. He pushed back or at least softened the onrush of the barbarians. That is why he deservedly won the title, "The Great." Saint Leo died in 461 (Magnificat, 137). I like where it said that Saint Leo was a true pastor and father of souls. This is what all priests strive for, to be those true pastors, to lead the flock in the ways of faith and holiness. May Saint Leo the Great intercede for us and help us to always be people of faith, holiness, and prayer. God Bless You!!!

Saint John Lateran

When I was in the seminary at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana, this feast day was always an interesting one to me. The monks always rang the bells for their respective prayer times and it seemed like all of them rang on this day, November 9, and I guess I did not understand why. I do know now the importance of this feast. The Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome is the mother church of Christendom. It is also the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. This Basilica was erected by the Emperor Constantine and has been observed on this day since the twelfth century. The feast was first observed in Rome but later on was extended to the entire Latin Church (Magnificat 125-26). We thank God for this feast day and for helping us realize that we are part of a larger mission. Of course that mission is continuing the work of the church and spreading the Good News. May we continue to do all that we can to build up the church, the body of Christ in our midst. Have a blessed day!!!

Changing Time!

The seasons have changed, leaves are falling from the trees, the air has gotten cooler, and daylight savings ends this weekend. Time also goes in cycles, just like the liturgical calendar of the church. The readings that we are listening to remind us that life is about change and that the end of time is near, but death is not the end because new life always springs forth. We know that at the end of the fall and winter seasons spring will blossom forth with new life. The same is true with death because we are assured that life has changed, not ended. That is the beauty of the Resurrection and that is the faith that we need to live with each day. The changing of time is a reality and it is a time to give God thanks for His goodness in our lives. Let us pray that our faith will always be nurtured and continue to grow as time keeps marching on. Have a blessed weekend!

Saint Martin de Porres

Saint Martin was born in Lima, Peru, of a Spanish father and a black mother in 1579. He studied medicine as a boy and it helped him when he became a Dominican because he was able to help the poor. He led a humble and disciplined life and was devoted to the Holy Eucharist. Saint Martin died in 1639 (Magnificat, 53). After celebrating the communion of saints on November 1, we return to celebrate one saint on this third of November. As the line in the opening prayer says, "May we follow his example and be exalted with him in the kingdom of heaven." What a great example for us: humble, a disciplined life, and a beautiful devotion to the Holy Eucharist. We can also grow in our love for the Holy Eucharist, the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It is the Eucharist that sustains us in our journey of life and faith. May we be strengthened by this beautiful devotion to the Eucharist and the intercession of Saint Martin de Porres. Have a blessed day!!!

Feast of All Souls

On this second day of November we remember the souls of all the faithful departed. The first of November called to mind the communion of saints, but now we focus on all who have gone before us. Here is what the Magnificat magazine says about this feast: "The commemoration of All Souls is rooted in the Church's strong conviction that we, the living, have a serious responsibility in love to accompany with prayer those who have died but who must yet complete the purificatory preparation every human being needs to be able to dwell in the all-encompassing love of God" (38). We pray for those who have gone before us and we look forward to the day when we will hopefully all be reunited and live in God's eternal presence forever. God Bless!!!

All Saints Day

A blessed Solemnity of All Saints to everyone! The entrance antiphon for this day says, "Let us all rejoice in the Lord and keep a festival in honor of all the saints. Let us join with the angels in joyful praise to the Son of God." What does it take to become a saint? Listen to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI: "To become saints means to fulfill completely what we already are, raised to the dignity of God's adopted children in Christ Jesus.. The saints bring to light in creative fashion quite new human potentialities... The saints are themselves the living spaces into which one can turn... There is no isolation in heaven. It is the open society of the saints and, consequently, also the fulfillment of all human togetherness... One might say that the saints are, so to speak, new Christian constellations, in which the richness of God's goodness is reflected. Their light, coming from God, enables us to know better the interior richness of God's great light... Nothing can bring us into close contact with the beauty of Christ himself other than the world of beauty created by faith and light that shines out from the faces of the saints, through whom his own light becomes visible." We may not be canonized saints of the church, but we are called to be saints by word and example. May the holy men and women we celebrate today intercede for us and help us to radiate the light of Christ. God Bless You!!!

World Priest Day!

This weekend is the observance of World Priest Day or Priesthood Sunday. It is a time to thank our priests and to show our appreciation towards them. I thank God for calling me to the priesthood and for allowing me to serve His people in a special way. Of course, I am thankful for all priests as we strive to live this vocation that God has called us to. I always think of the priests who had a role in preparing me for my priestly vocation. I think of our seminarians and those who are discerning God's call in their lives. I ask you to pray for our priests, seminarians, and those discerning a call to priesthood or religious life. As you go to church this weekend, be sure and thank your priest for his vocation and service. That appreciation goes a long way! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Favorite Lines!

The other day, as was mentioned in the blog, I celebrated the anniversary of my Diaconate Ordination. From the Rite, there is a wonderful phrase that is used when the Book of the Gospels is presented to those being ordained. The bishop says, "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach." I thought that was such a great phrase that I printed it out and had it placed around my room in the seminary. A great reminder for us to always practice what we preach. Another line comes from the first reading that was proclaimed at Mass this morning. Saint Paul was writing to the Philippians and this is what he wrote, "I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1). All that we have are gifts from God, so we should always be thankful and grateful. We know that by God's grace He will bring all things to a completion and help us to always practice what we preach. Have a blessed day!!!

Bishop's Caravan

The Diocese of Salina, Kansas, the diocese where I am affiliated, has undertaken a comprehensive capital campaign. The name of the campaign is, "Yesterday, Today, and Forever," which speaks of Christ who is always the same, yesterday, today, and forever. This campaign has a four-fold purpose: Priests Retirement, Seminarian Education, Catholic Charities, and Stewards of Hope- our Diocesan Pastoral Plan. The goal for this plan is $15 million and portions of that will go to each individual area. Last evening, the Manhattan, Kansas area hosted the Bishop's Caravan. This caravan consisted of our bishop, a person from the diocesan Office of Development and Stewardship, and the two people working with the group conducting this campaign. This was the fourth and final caravan for this area, which is in the First Wave of the campaign. The second and third waves, which will roll to the west will begin later. The caravan gave the bishop the opportunity to talk to those gathered how the campaign came about and the hopes we have in moving forward. If you would like to see any items related to the capital campaign for our diocese or the new Pastoral Plan check out our website: www.salinadiocese.org. Please pray for this campaign and for all those who continue to give of their time, talent, and treasure. Have a blessed day!

Starting It All Anniversary

Whatever we do in life, there is always a beginning. I felt the call to be a priest when I was seven years old. Deciding on that vocation in life took a lot of prayer and reflection. That road to becoming a priest began on this day, October 26, 1996, 14 years, ago when I was ordained a transitional deacon. Even though my priesthood anniversary in May is a significant anniversary, I cannot forget where it all began as I entered the ordained life as a deacon. I remember that day because it was probably the first deacon class at Saint Meinrad School of Theology to be ordained in another place, other than the Archabbey Church. At that time, the Archabbey Church was undergoing extensive renovation so our class, at least the seven of us ordained on that day, were ordained in the Benedictine Sisters Chapel at Monastery of the Immaculate Conception. Despite the cloudy, rainy weather, it was still a beautiful day and I thank God for the blessings of that day. Priesthood ordination came on May 31, 1997, but it all began on October 26, 1996. Thank God for this vocation and for allowing me to celebrate this special time with an attitude of gratitude. Have a blessed day!!!

Church Cycle

The Church is always looking ahead! Looking forward to the full reality of the Kingdom of God. We know that the time is coming. Jesus tells us in the gospels to be ready, to be prepared. Of course, when it comes to the church calendar, everything goes in circles. It is a continuous cycle that tells the story of salvation history. Just think, two months from today is the great Solemnity of Christmas. Most people probably don't want to hear that because with our materialistic society people are thinking about what they need to buy for presents and how to prepare for holiday guests. However, this is good news to hear because once again we get to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation, God becoming man. That is what is important, Jesus coming to live among us, but somehow, that all gets lost in the shuffle. As several slogans remind us, "Jesus is the reason for the season" and "Keep Christ in Christmas." Yes, we are two months away, but we can celebrate Christmas and Easter everyday because we live with the faith and hope that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to be our Savior and that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the promise of eternal life. The church calendar goes in cycles, these beautiful celebrations come around every year, but they are great events to recall as we continue to live our lives and faith and write another chapter in salvation history. God Bless you!!!

Virtue of Humility

The gospel reading for today, October 24, is a good example of how we need to be humble (Luke 18:9-14). In the gospel, we see a Pharisee and a tax collector who go into the temple area to pray. The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like the rest of humanity, while the tax collector acknowledges his sinfulness and asks the Lord for mercy. It was in the 1950's that then-Bishop Fulton J. Sheen had his weekly television series. In one of the broadcasts he spoke about the virtue of humility. He emphasized that, rather than requiring us to deny our gifts and talents, the virtue of humility demands that we gratefully own up to them - but that we recognize that they come from God and are meant to be share in the service of others. True, we have played a major role in developing our talents and abilities, but we did not choose them or obtain them for ourselves. They are gifts and the credit for them must go to God (Saint Anthony Press). According to the commentator, "Humility, along with truth, helps us view ourselves in right relationship with God, self and others. It helps us put things into proper perspective. It helps us recognize that what we have is all a gift from God to be used for and shared with others." A beautiful thought on being humble, everything we have comes from God, we need to thank Him and use those gifts and resources for His glory and the good of others. Have a blessed day!!!

Spending Time!

Thank God for the gift of family and friends! This is a prayer that I offer everyday. Thanking God for the gift of my parents and other family members. Thanking God for the gift of friends. A great blessing is to have friends become part of your family. God brings people into our lives and they are a gift, a blessing. I think about this as I am spending time with my parents. I attended a meeting on our new diocesan Pastoral Plan, Stewards of Hope, and the meeting happened to be in our adopted home town. What a great joy to spend that time, to relive memories, and to be thankful for all God has given to us. This time that we have is a gift from God and we need to make the most of the time that we have been given. God bless you!!!

Saint Paul of the Cross

Our memorial today is for Saint Paul of the Cross, who was born in 1694. He helped his father in the merchant business but then gave it all up for a life of perfection. He pulled together associates who helped to care for the poor and the sick. After becoming a priest, he worked even more for the salvation of souls by founding homes, exercising apostolic zeal, and afflicting himself with harsh penances. Saint Paul died in 1775 (Magnificat, 277-78). The opening prayer talks about Saint Paul's love for the cross and the hope that we will embrace our own cross with courage. Like Jesus told his disciples, "If you wish to be my disciples, you must pick up your cross and follow me." We pray that we will embrace the crosses given to us in this life and that we will carry them with patience and perseverance. Saint Paul of the Cross, intercede for us! Have a blessed day!!!

North American Martyrs

When I was in the seminary, I remember taking a classmate for a scheduled appointment at Brebeuf High School, located near Indianapolis. I thought it was an interesting name for a high school and it was operated by the Jesuits. That is why the memorial that is celebrated today, especially in the United States makes sense. Saint Isaac Jogues, Saint John de Brebeuf, and their companions were Jesuit martyrs. Their martyrdom occurred between the years 1642 and 1649 in North America. They were tortured by the members of the Huron and Iroquois tribes when they tried to bring the true faith into their region (Magnificat, 266-67). Through the intercession of the North American Martyrs, we pray that our faith will be strengthened and that we will continue to spread the Good News to all peoples. Have a blessed day!

Saint Luke

I believe it was one of my favorite church people, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who was asked one time, "Who are your favorite writers?" His response was, "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John." You cannot go wrong with the gospel writers and the early evangelists of the church. Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Luke, the author of the gospel bearing his name and he is also credited for writing the Acts of the Apostles. Saint Luke was born of pagan parents but converted to the faith. He became a fellow-worker of the apostle Paul. From Saint Paul's preaching, Saint Luke was able to write the gospel attributed to him (Magnificat, 256). Saint Luke was also a physician. As another commentator writes, "Alone of the evangelists Saint Luke, the 'beloved physician' (Col 4:14), preserves some of Jesus' best known stories of God's merciful and healing love for all peoples, whether respected or despised" (Magnificat, 262). There is so much to learn from the gospels. We pray, on this day, that Saint Luke will intercede for us and help us to grow in our love and devotion for God's holy word. Have a blessed day!

Campaign Underway!

The Diocese of Salina is divided into Vicariates or specific geographic regions. The East Vicariate, where I am assigned and minister to, is in the first wave of the Diocesan Capital Campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to raise money for four different areas: Priests Retirement, Seminarian Education, Catholic Charities, and Stewards of Hope (our new diocesan Pastoral Plan). The goal for this Capital Campaign is $15 million. This weekend, at all the Masses, the campaign video was shown. I did have one glitch at one of my parishes. The projector that I took was not linked up with my laptop computer so I had to talk about the campaign instead of show the video. One always has to be prepared for the unforeseen. There is also a prayer that was composed for this campaign and we started praying that after the Masses. Our wave will last until December 12, then the other vicariates will have their turn until July of 2011. Please pray for my parishes as we journey through this campaign and pray for the Diocese of Salina that these important needs will be met. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Teresa of Jesus

Saint Teresa of Jesus, also known as, Saint Teresa of Avila, was born in the town of Avila, Spain in 1515. She became a nun in the Carmelite Order and made great progress in the way of perfection and enjoyed mystical revelations. Saint Teresa reformed the order with much courage. She also wrote books filled with sublime doctrine, which was the fruit of her own spiritual life. She died in 1582. Saint Teresa was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970 (Magnificat, 193). There is a quote that did catch my attention about Saint Teresa and it is worth repeating. The basis for this quote comes from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (5:17) which says, "Pray without ceasing." "Saint Teresa was a woman of remarkable integration: she worked as hard as Martha at the many tasks of establishing convents of the Carmelite reform, but she drew her energy from the hours she spent, with Mary, sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to him speak. Working or praying, she found her delight in Christ's company" (Magnificat, 191). A beautiful thought for all of us, to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to his words because as Saint Peter said, "Lord, you have the words of everlasting life." Let us always take the time to pray and be strengthened by Saint Teresa's intercession each and every day. God Bless You!!!

Saint Callistus

Today is the memorial of Saint Callistus I, who was pope and a martyr. What is known about this saint is that he was reputed to have been a slave. After obtaining his liberty, he was ordained a deacon by Pope Zephyrinus and Callistus succeeded him as pope. Callistus fought against several heresies and received the crown of martyrdom in 222 (Magnificat, 182). Not much is known of this saint, but the opening prayer for the Mass says it all: "God of mercy, hear the prayers of your people that we may be helped by Saint Callistus, whose martyrdom we celebrate with joy." Let us pray that Saint Callistus will intercede for us and that by following his example we will have joy and peace. God Bless you!!!

Making Things New!

It is always good to keep things renewed, refreshed and updated. That is what is going on at the parish church of St. John the Baptist in Hanover, KS. A new roof has been installed. Right now they are putting up new gutters and putting down a new carpet inside. Routine maintenance is something that always needs to be done on any building. A church is a special building because it is God's House and we need to keep it looking beautiful now and for generations to come. The same is true for the house that God gave us, our human body and all that goes with it. We need to keep our own houses clean and renewed. Keeping our spiritual house in order is of prime importance. Taking the time each day to pray, receive the sacraments, scripture study or spiritual reading. All of these help us to grow in our faith and to be renewed. Let us do what we can to always make ourselves new, in Christ. Have a blessed day!

Gratitude!

Gratitude is the key word for this weekend. In the first reading and Gospel from Mass this weekend, we will listen to gratitude and thankfulness. Naaman who was cleansed of his leprosy wanted to pay the prophet for the healing that took place but he would not take it. Being thankful and expressing that to God is what is important. The gospel has the healing of the 10 lepers and only one returns to give God thanks. We don't know what happened to the other nine but the one is a tremendous example. We need to be thankful for all the gifts and blessings that God gives to us in our lives. As one of my professors said in the seminary, "We need an attitude of gratitude." That really says it all. Do not be afraid to say thank you because that thankfulness can go a long way. Have a blessed weekend!

Show & Tell!

This morning at the Mass for our Catholic school students, I brought a rosary that I had made for me in the early 1990's, when I was in the college seminary. I was the Resident Assistant on the Sophomore floor. It just so happened that one of the students made rosaries. I asked him if he would make me a rosary that had all the decades on it, all 150. The rosary is a beautiful piece of handiwork and I have it displayed around a picture of Mary in my chapel in the rectory. Of course, that rosary would need to be updated because there are new mysteries to pray, the Luminous Mysteries. During the month of October, we have are reminded how important the rosary is because it is the month of the rosary. We pray that our Blessed Mother will continue to intercede for us and pray for us as we pray the prayer dedicated to her. God Bless!!!

Our Lady of the Rosary

How appropriate that during this month of the Rosary the Church celebrates the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Rosary is a beautiful prayer and gift that has been given to us. Here is a quote that speaks well of this great devotion: "It could be said that each mystery of the rosary, carefully meditated, sheds light on the mystery of man. 'Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you' (Ps. 55:23). To pray the rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Chist and his Mother. The rosary does indeed 'mark the rhythm of human life,' bringing it into harmony witht he 'rhythm' of God's own life, in the joyful communion of the Holy Trinity, our life's destiny and deepest longing. Through the rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer." - Venerable John Paul II. In meditating on the rosary we enter into the lives of our Lord and Blessed Mother. We are assured of their divine presence and assistance in our lives. May we be strengthened by the motherly hand of our Blessed Mother and trust in her intercessions as we pray the Rosary. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!!!

Blessed Marie Rose Durocher

Today, we celebrate a memorial for the United States, Blessed Marie Rose Durocher. She was born on this day (October 6) in Canada. Her brother, Eusebius, was a parish priest and Blessed Marie served as his housekeeper. It was during this time that she took care of sick priests and seminarians. She also established a sodality and operated charitable programs in the parish. Blessed Marie had a beautiful devotion to our Blessed Mother. On December 8, 1844, she took vows as a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. She founded convents and schools in Canada and her work even reached to the United States. Blessed Marie Rose died on October 6, 1849. She was declared a "Venerable" in 1979 and "Blessed" on May 23, 1982. This is what our beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II said at her beatification Mass: "Marie Rose Durocher acted with simplicity, prudence, humility, and serenity. She refused to be halted by her personal problems of health or the initial difficulties of her new-born work. Her secret lay in prayer and self-forgetfulness, which, according to her bishop, reached the point of real sanctity" (John Paul II's Book of Saints, 268-69).

Saint Francis of Assisi

It will soon be 15 years ago that a group of seminarians, myself included, made a pilgrimage to Rome, Italy and some of the surrounding areas. One of the places that we visited was Assisi, the home of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. Today the church remembers Saint Francis of Assisi. Our group traveled to Italy from the end of December 1995 through most of January 1996. In fact, it was the year before the earthquake that hit the area around Assisi and damaged some of the frescoes in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. I remember that pilgrimage to Assisi fondly. We saw the Basilica of Saint Francis, the Church of Saint Clare, where the San Damiano cross is kept, which was the cross that spoke to Saint Francis and told him to go and rebuild my church. Saint Francis thought that our Lord was talking about the physical building but instead He was talking about the faith of the people. This is important because we need to nurture our faith and keep it growing. God has blessed us with a beautiful gift and we need to live it each day. Saint Francis was known for his gentleness, simplicity, faith, love of animals, and so much more. As we think about the faith that we have and share, let us pray that Saint Francis will intercede for us and help us to always live our faith to the fullest. God Bless!!!

Saint Therese of Lisieux

Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Therese of Lisieux or Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. Saint Therese was a young girl when she entered the Carmelite monastery. She lived a life of humility, evangelical simplicity, and trust in God. Saint Therese was a great example to the other sisters in her community, especially the novices. She offered her life for the salvation of souls and the growth of the Church and she died on September 30, 1897 (Magnificat, 32). What a beautiful example Saint Therese is for all of us. She lived her life according to the plan of God instead of her own. Being open to the will of God is what we are all called to do. Saint Therese, from her vocation, had the call to love. Living the will and love of God. That is truly a remarkable model and example to follow. Let us pray that Saint Therese will intercede for us and help us to live in God's goodness at all times. Have a blessed day!

Saint Jerome

In our liturgies, we are fed by the Eucharist and by the word of God. The sacred scriptures, written centuries ago, still apply to our lives today. That is the role of priests and other clergy, to break open the word and help people listen to the voice of God that comes from it. When it comes to scripture, Saint Jerome is a wonderful model and example to turn to. He is the one who translated the holy Scriptures into Latin. Saint Jerome also wrote commentaries on the divinely inspired word of God. As one commentary said of him, "Saint Jerome lived intensely by the light of God's word through study, prayer, and the painstaking work of translating it into the vernacular, which was Latin at the time, and writing commentaries on it" (Magnificat, 397). Saint Jerome had a great love for sacred scripture and it is a gift that we can fall in love with as well. In recent times bible studies have gained momentum and it is good for all of us to get into God's word to read, study, and pray. Whether we have a bible study group or as individuals, we need to pick up the Bible, listen to what God is saying to us and allow Him to work in our lives in a special way. Saint Jerome, pray for us.

Archangels!

The Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. These archangels are mentioned in the Scriptures so we know how important they are. Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit from the Old Testament. Gabriel is the messenger angel who announced the births of St. John the Baptist and Jesus. Michael is the angel mentioned in the battle at the end of time. As the opening prayer stated, "May those who serve you constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm on earth." We know that the angels watch over us to keep us safe. There are even people who come as angels here on earth. We always know that God is watching over us and we thank Him for the archangels that we celebrate today! God Bless!!!

Saint Wenceslaus

My first pastoral assignment was at a parish named after Saint Wenceslaus, whom the church celebrates today. This name also comes up around Christmas time when they sing the song to "Good King Wenceslaus." Saint Wenceslaus was born around 907. He was brought up a Christian by his grandmother. His reign as king began around 925. As king, he experienced many difficulties, especially in ruling over his subjects and leading them to the faith. Wenceslaus was betrayed by his brother, Boleslaus and he was assassinated in 935. He was immediately recognized as a martyr and is the patron saint of Bohemia (Magnificat, 377). The gospel acclamation for today said, "The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." The opening prayer for Mass said that the Lord taught Wenceslaus to prefer the kingdom of heaven to all that the earth has to offer. We pray that through Wenceslaus' intercession we may be free from self-seeking and serve the Lord with all our hearts. May the example of our Lord and Saint Wenceslaus be ours as we continue our journey towards the kingdom! Have a blessed day!!!

Keep on Preaching!

I used the following illustration in my homily this past weekend: A new pastor came into a church and preached a great sermon. The people were expecting another great sermon the following Sunday, but to their surprise the pastor preached the same sermon. Ok, there must be a point to it, so the people waited to see what would happen the next Sunday. Sure enough, Sunday rolled around and the pastor preached the same sermon. That Monday, several church members showed up at the pastor's home and asked what he was trying to prove. Without missing a beat the pastor said that he would continue to preach it until someone did something about it (homily resource). How well are people listening to God's Word and the message that is preached from it? We know that we are to practice what we preach. That means we need to put our faith into action. Of course, we cannot keep preaching the same homily or sermon week after week, but hopefully people are listening and are willing to put those words into practice. Whether we speak or live by example, we need to keep on preaching! God Bless!!!

Saint Padre Pio

In the midst of our priest retreat ending and my annual physical appointment, I forgot to mention the Memorial of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. This memorial occured on September 23. Saint Padre Pio is one of my favorite saints and I ask his intercession everyday. He is truly a saint of our time, being born in 1887 and entering eternal life in 1968. Saint Padre Pio was a Capuchin Francisan who lived at the friary of San Giovanni Rotundo in Italy. Early in his priesthood he received the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ from the crucifixion, and these remained his entire life. As the commentary says about him, "He was a much sought after spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor who life was devoted to the Eucharist and prayer" (Magnificat, 318). It is written that Saint Padre Pio would often say, "I only want to be a poor friar who prays." He is a wonderful example and intercessor for us. Let us always seek the intercession of this faithful and holy saint, Padre Pio! God Bless!!!

Days of Retreat!

As I mentioned yesterday the priests of the Diocese of Salina are on retreat until Thursday. Our presenter for the retreat is Archbishop George Lucas from the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska. His conference earlier focused on Saint John Vianney, the Cure of Ars. Saint John spent his priestly ministry, 42 years at Ars. The question for us was, can we see ourselves being in our current assignment for 42 years? Despite all the joys and challenges, we can learn a lot from Saint John. He brought patience and generosity to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and had many, many people come to him for the sacrament. He is an example of holiness and faith. The archbishop encouraged us to have a heart to heart talk with him and to ask his intercession. Saint John loved his people and as the one prayer to him says, "The Heart of Christ is a treasure given to any parish." It was a powerful conference for me. God bless you today and keep us in your prayers!

Saint Matthew

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Matthew, apostle, evangelist, and gospel writer. He was first known as a tax collector, but our Lord called him from his post to "Follow him." That is the beautiful gospel that is proclaimed on this day (Mt. 9:9-13). From this gospel, it is apparent that Matthew or Levi, as he is called by Mark and Luke, did not hesitate. Once Jesus called him to follow him he got up from his post and did just that. Even though Jesus was questioned on it, he did not back down. Instead, Jesus said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." The Lord calls us to follow him. Like Matthew, may we have the gracea and strength to say yes to the Lord and follow where he will lead us. Pray for the priests of the Diocese of Salina who are on retreat this week. God Bless!!!

How was your weekend?

Weekends are always busy and there are so many activities to do. The weekend around the church was no different. The roof project at St. John's Church is underway and they are working hard to get everything done later this week. A wedding was held and congratulations to the families involved. Weddings are a special time and it prepares a couple for the lifetime commitment that they will be living. The focus of the homily for this weekend was on stewardship. Many people have different thoughts about stewardship but one thing for certain, it is a way of life. We always need to be giving of our time, talent and treasure. I expressed to my parishioners my thankfulness for all they do for the parish and community, from their presence to their generosity. The weekend concluded with another joyful occasion, the Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Exemplification. This was my first time to be a part of the degree team and it was a great joy. We welcomed 69 candidates who are now Sir Knights and enjoy full membership in the Knights of Columbus. There are many things going on in the church and we all have a part to play. Let us pray for God's grace and strength that we will always have the resolve to continue the mission entrusted to us. God Bless You!!!

Saint Robert Bellarmine

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine. He was born in 1542 in Tuscany. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and after his ordination to the priesthood he distinguished himself by brilliant disputations in defense of the Catholic faith. Saint Robert was elected to the College of Cardinals and named bishop of Capua. He died in 1621 (Magnificat, 247). The Jesuits are known for their knowledge and learning so Saint Robert Bellarmine is a wonderful saint to turn to as we are early in the school year. May our students be given the grace, knowledge, and wisdom that will help them in their journey. May our teachers be strengthened in their knowledge and help our students to learn and grow. Saint Robert Bellarmine, pray for us!!!

Saints Cornelius & Cyprian

A beautiful thought for us today as the Church celebrates the memorial of these two martyrs. "Today's martyrs were among the many shepherds of the Church who have followed Christ into the valley of death rather than lead their flocks astray after other gods. They defended the Church especially from popular but false teaching and from division" (Magnificat, 240). Saint Cornelius became Pope in 251 and he was helped by Saint Cyprian who became a bishop in 249. They both worked hard to defend the faith and defend the Church. Of course, they went so far as to give of their very lives as martyrs. However, their focus was loud and clear, there is only one God, the creator and author of all life. He is the one, true God that we are to listen to and follow. We know in our present world there are many voices calling to us, wanting us to come after them, but hopefully the voice of God is the voice that drowns the others out. As Saints Cornelius and Cyprian are examples for us so may we go forth to be examples to others and show them that our focus at all times needs to be on the living God! Peace to you!!!

Two Special Feasts

These two days in September (14-15) are sad and joyful days in the Church. September 14 is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. We are reminded that Jesus broke the bonds of sin and death through his own passion, suffering, and death on the cross. It is a day to rejoice and be glad. At that time, the cross was an instrument of torture and punishment, but today it is the tree of life. September 15 is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. We see our Blessed Mother's sorrow as she stands beneath her son on the cross. As one heading in the National Catholic Register said, "Our Lady of Sorrows: A Pillar of Strength." What a beautiful example because Mary knew the joys and sorrows of saying yes to God's will in her life. We also experience joy and sorrow, crosses that we have to carry in our own lives, but we know that we do not walk the journey alone. Jesus is there to walk with us and Mary guides us with her maternal hand. Let us pray for the grace and strength to follow in the footsteps of our Lord by carrying the cross and trust in our Blessed Mother who prays and intercedes for us. God Bless!!!

Saint John Chrysostom

As we begin this new week, vacation is now over, or at least it was when the weekend began. Sorry I have been away for a few days from the blog but that does happen. Today the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint John Chrysostom. He is given the name Chrysostom or "Golden Mouth" because of his preaching and writing that explained Catholic doctrine and the ideal Christian life. As one person writes, "Saint John is remembered for his eloquence in preaching God's word to small and great alike" (Magnificat, 164). It is important to preach the Good News at all times and as Saint Francis would say, "Use words if you must." I would say that Saint John proclaimed the Good News by word and action. The opening paragraph for the intercessions in the Magnificat devotional says it all, "The preacher's is the voice, but the word of life is Christ. Let us pray through the intercession of Saint John Chrysostom for the grace to hear Christ in his word and to live by what we hear" (165). May Saint John Chrysostom intercede for us and help us to proclaim the Good News each day! God Bless!!!

September 6

I hope everyone is having a restful and safe Labor Day weekend. On this Labor Day we remember those who have worked to bring us where we are and those who continue to labor. The prayers that can be used for today's Mass are from the Blessing of Human Labor. As the opening prayer states, "God our Father, you have placed all the powers of nature under the control of man and his work. May we bring the spirit of Christ to all our efforts and work with our brothers and sisters at our common task, establishing true love and guiding your creation to perfect fulfillment." We know that God is at work within each of us and we need to bring the love of God to others as we continue to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst. Like the Psalmist says, "May the goodness of the Lord be upon us, and give success to the work of our hands" (Ps. 89:17). May God bless you on this Labor Day and everyday. May all that we do be for the glory of God as we await the full reality of His kingdom that is to come. Peace to you!!!

Weekend of Sept 4/5

I hope everyone is having a good and safe Labor Day Weekend. Our vacation continues in the Rocky Mountain State of Colorado. Fr. Tom and I made our way into Denver on Saturday where we will spend the remainder of our time. On Saturday evening, we had the chance to attend the Colorado Rapids soccer game. It was a beautiful evening and the home team won 3-0. Of course we have made an adjustment to the weather. We went from the 60 degree weather of Frisco to the 90 degree weather in Denver. In fact the high today is supposed to be 96, so we know that summer is still in full swing. The Gospel for this weekend speaks about discipleship and there is no vacation from being disciples. Everyday we need to live this vocation that our Lord calls us to. Here is a thought for us on this 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "We are either servants of God or slaves of evil. There is no middle ground. This does not mean that as servants of Christ we are without fault, but that we have allied ourselves with him and accepted his redemption. Let us not be ashamed to be servants of Christ for in his love he has purchased us at a great price" (Magnificat, 68-69). Let us live in the love of the Lord. Have a blessed day!

September 3

Today is the Feast day of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the church. He did many things to spread and strengthen the faith of the people of God. We pray for his intercession, that we may be renewed in our faith. As mentioned in the last blog, I said I would write after our ride on the Vail Pass. Fr. Tom and I accomplished that tremendous feat. We left the hotel shortly before 10:00 Mountain Time and walked in the door about 4:15. It was a long and grueling ride, 43 miles. We started in Frisco, which is at an elevation of about 9,000 feet and went up to the top of Vail Pass which is another elevation of about 1,200 feet, then we made our descent into the city of Vail. Because of the steepness of the return trip, we caught a shuttle that took us back to the top of Vail Pass and then made our way back to Frisco. We are tired and sore, but it was a great ride and was what we planned to accomplish in making the arrangements for this trip. Tomorrow we head to Denver for the remaining days of our vacation and more blogs will coming. God Bless!!!

Thursday Sept 2

One of the joys of traveling with another priest is that we can say Mass right where we are at. I brought the Mass kit for our vacation. In the context of Mass we also do our Morning Prayer. It is a great way to remember that there is no vacation from God. Today was our day to rest from the 22 mile bike ride that we did on Wednesday. We played 18 holes of disc golf and it is still pretty windy so 18 was good enough for us. Then we spent the afternoon walking around Breckenridge and seeing what downtown had to offer. Tomorrow (Friday) will be our grueling bike day. We will tackle the Vail Pass which is a tough climb and we will head out in the morning. The next blog will be to let you know how we did. Besides the wind, the weather has been beautiful, high's in the 60's and lows in the 30's. Thank God for the weather and allowing us to see the beauty of His creation. God Bless!!!

Vacation Time!

It is hard to believe that the end of Summer is almost upon us. Labor Day is right around the corner and Fall will soon appear as we begin this new month of September. In some places, school has already begun for the new academic year, others will begin after Labor Day. Vacations are pretty much over for most people, but it just began for me and Fr. Tom Elliott. We have had this vacation on the books for a number of months and it is finally here. It is a definite break that we both needed. Presently we are in Frisco, Colorado and we are here to do some bike riding and relaxing. Of course we take the time for Mass and prayer. Even though we are on vacation we do not take a break from our vocation as priests and disciples of Jesus. This is a time to recharge our batteries so we can be effective priests and preachers of the Good News. Please keep us in your prayers during this time and pray for our parishes and our people that God will keep them safe in our absence. More blogs will be coming to let you know the progress of this time of vacation. Have a blessed day!!!

Heralds of the Good News!

This weekend in the parishes of Washington County, the people are listening to the annual Mission Cooperative Appeal. Our missionary is Fr. Charles from India and he is representing the Heralds of the Good News. This is a new missionary society, only 25 years old, founded in 1984. To date, the Heralds of the Good News have 350 priests and 450 seminarians. This is truly a society that is growing at a fast pace. Fr. Charles is here to talk about their mission in their world and asking us to pray for their priests and seminarians. Also, the continued call to pray for more vocations is still there. We pray that men and women will be open to the call of God in their lives and consider a vocation to the priesthood and religious life. As our Lord said, "The harvest is rich, but laborers are few." We need to ask the master of the harvest to send more laborers into the harvest. May God bless us with more vocations and more heralds to go forth and proclaim the Good News. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Monica

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Monica. She was born in 331 to a Christian family in Africa. As a young maiden she married Patricius. They had children and among them was Saint Augustine. As a mother she poured forth many prayers for the conversion of her son Augustine. Saint Monica is called "a model of the virtuous mother." She nourished her faith by prayers and witnessed to it by her deeds. She died in 387 (Magnificat, 365-66). When I think of Saint Monica, I think about her praying for her son, Augustine, and his conversion to the faith. It reminds me that God does answer our prayers. One of the most powerful comments I have heard is being an answer to someone's prayer. We may not know it at the time but God does work in mysterious ways and He uses us to be His instruments of love, mercy, healing, compassion, etc. We are called to pray and to touch peoples lives in a special way. Let us thank God for the blessings that He bestows in our lives and may we always follow the example that the holy men and women, who have gone before, have set before us. Have a blessed day!!!

A Special Birthday!

This day, August 26, 2010, would have been Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta's 100th Birthday. I am sure there are Masses and different remembrances being said and observed in her honor. Of course, she is just one step away from being canonized a saint in the church. The Venerable Pope John Paul II waived the five year waiting period for her cause so the process started right away. One miracle has already been attributed to her, that is why she has been beatified and given the title "Blessed." What we await now is another confirmed miracle and the official decree of our Holy Father so she can be raised to the altar of sainthood. What a beautiful day that will be, especially for the Missionary of Charity Sisters who continue her work and mission around the world. Many consider Blessed Mother Teresa a saint already because of what she did during her time on earth. How she reached out to anyone as a brother and sister and how she saw the face of Christ in each person. What a great example for us. Pray that we may be able to see the face of Christ in others and reach out in service to our brothers and sisters in need. May Blessed Mother Teresa continue to pray for us. God bless you on this special day!!!

Saint Bartholomew

I have always liked the name of Saint Bartholomew. Some religious orders have their priests and brothers take the name of a saint. I thought that if I ever became a religious I would like the name Bartholomew, mainly because of how it sounds. All we know about Saint Bartholomew is that "he was born in Cana. He was brought to Jesus by the apostle Philip. After the Ascension of the Lord, he is said to have preached the Gospel in India where he was rewarded with the crown of martyrdom" (Magnificat, 333). Like another commentator wrote, "Bartholomew is one of the 'anonymous' apostles: all the personal details of his life have disappeared behind the Gospel he proclaimed. Like John the Baptist, he decreased to nothing so that Christ might increase" (Magnificat, 331). That is very important because the message of Christ needs to get out. We cannot interfere with the message so we are to decrease and let the good news of Jesus Christ increase. We are to be a shining example to others. Let us not be afraid to proclaim the Good News, not just with words, but with our very lives. May Saint Bartholomew intercede for us! God Bless!!!

An Important Milestone!

Early in 2004, I had been an associate pastor in two different parishes for seven years, the parishes of St. Wenceslaus in Wilson, Kansas and St. Joseph in Dorrance, Kansas came open. I put my name in the hat and was appointed pastor in July of that same year. This was to be my first pastorate. I had the opportunity to stay in those parishes for five years. One of the big accomplishments was the renovation of the church. The church was given a new coat of paint and a new floor. On the outside, a new ramp was put in place, but that was completed after I was assigned to the parishes of Washington County. Another accomplishment, that we laid the foundation for, was the upcoming 125th Anniversary of St. Wenceslaus Church. Looking at the centennial book from 1986, it looked like 2011 would be the date for celebrating this important milestone. Some people did their research and found that another date would put the 125th Anniversary this year, 2010. Today, August 22, is the day to celebrate this important milestone. I will have the opportunity to travel back to the Czech Capital of Kansas and celebrate with the parishioners as they mark this wonderful anniversary. Let us pray for the people of St. Wenceslaus and for all of our Catholic communities as we continue to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst. God Bless!!!

Saint Bernard

On this Friday, August 20, the Universal Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Bernard. He was born in 1090 in France. In 1111, he joined the Cistercian Order and was later the abbot of the monastery of Clairvaux. He was one who led by example and in that directed his companions. Bernard traveled around Europe restoring peace and unity because schisms had arisen in the church. He died in the year 1153 (Magnificat, 287). Another commentator wrote, "Saint Bernard fostered the renewal of monastic life through the Cistercian observance of the Rule of Saint Benedict, which uses the Psalms to describe the holiness required of one who seeks to dwell in God's presence" (Magnificat, 285). I am reminded of the gate at the Cistercian (Trappist) monastery in Gethsemane, Kentucky where etched in stone it says very simply, "God Alone." That is important for all of us because God is the center of our lives at all times. We look forward to the day when God will welcome us into his Kingdom and that is our hope and faith. So we look to Saint Bernard's example of holiness and pray that he will intercede for us that we may live holy, faithful, and dedicated lives, to God Alone! Have a blessed day!!!

Generosity of the Heart!

The gospel that we listened to for today is the parable of the landowner and how he treated the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). Those who worked in the vineyard one hour received the same wage as those who had worked all day. The landowner said that he could do whatever he wished with his money and he was being very generous. The model that we are to keep our minds and hearts focused on is the generosity of Jesus. As the commentator writes, "The teachings and example of Jesus show us what it means to live with a generous heart. As followers of Jesus, we are to care about each other, and not count the cost. He also taught us that generosity and justice do not mean that everyone will receive the same gifts, but that no matter what our gifts are, we are to share them with one another" (Commentary & General Intercessions, 331). We strive to be generous like our Lord. Let us pray for the grace and strength to have the unconditional love of God and a generosity of heart. Have a blessed day!

Being Rich in Christ!

The gospel acclamation for Mass this morning came from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, "Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich so that by his poverty you might become rich." This goes along with the gospel for today, Matthew 19:23-30, where Jesus says, "It will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven." The gifts and resources that we have here on earth are gifts from God. We cannot become attached to our possessions and we need to be good stewards of the gifts we have received. I might have used this illustration before, but it is one that gives me goosebumps when I think about it. During the funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II, the commentator was talking about the gifts that the Holy Father received from his travels. He mentioned that those gifts had places in the Vatican. In the eyes of the world, Pope John Paul II died a poor man because he had no material items, but today, he is rich. Just think about that! He is rich because of the promise of Jesus Christ. We are saved by our Lord's death and resurrection. As Jesus also says in our gospel after the disciples asked him who can be saved, "For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." Our focus needs to be on the prize, eternal life in Jesus Christ. With our faith and belief in Christ, we are truly rich. Have a blessed day!!!

Special Anniversary!

This weekend, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a great joy to celebrate this feast on a Sunday because it does not happen that much. If the feast fell on any other day in the calendar it would be a holy day of obligation. The Feast of the Assumption is special this year because it is the 60th Anniversary of the Assumption being declared an official teaching of the Catholic Church. Even though the thought and belief of Mary being assumed into Heaven, body and soul, had been around for centuries, nothing formal had been declared. Then, on November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), declared that the teaching of the Assumption would be dogma, official teaching of the church. It follows the declaration that Mary was immaculately conceived witout original sin. That is what we celebrate on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in December. The Immaculate Conception of Mary was officially declared dogma in
1854. Our Church is rich in history, tradition, and faith. We thank God for these beautiful feasts, but most of all, we thank Him for the example of our Blessed Mother. Her yes, giving herself totally to God's will, is an example for all of us. Let us be open to our Blessed Mother's maternal hand and always trust in her continued prayers and intercessions! Have a blessed feast day!!!

Saints Pontian & Hippolytus

We celebrate two saints today, one was a pope, the other a priest, but both were martyrs for the faith. Saint Pontian became pope, the bishop of Rome, in 231. Four years later he was banished to Sardinia, along with a priest by the name of Hippolytus. Pontian resigned his office and later died. Both saints were buried in different cemeteries but sanctioned devotion was given to the Roman Church at the beginning of the fourth century (Magnificat, 170-71). The opening prayer for Mass talked about the saints loyal suffering. We pray that through their loyal suffering we will be filled with love and our hearts will be steadfast in faith. Let us make their prayer our own today as we live the gifts of love and faith to the fullest. Have a blessed day!!!

Forgiveness is Forever!

Our gospel for today, Matthew 18:21-19:1, opens with a discourse between Peter and Jesus. Peter asks our Lord, "If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." It is easy to get caught up in the numbers but hopefully we do not start counting how many times that we forgive someone. Instead, there are no boundaries to forgiveness, it is forever. A term that I remember from algebra class is "infinitely many." We are called to be loving, compassionate, merciful, and forgiving. When we have been hurt by others it might be difficult to forgive but we know that is the way to move on. We cannot let the hurt eat at us. We need to move towards forgiveness and reconciliation and hopefully in that we can find peace. Our Lord was also heard to say that we need to forgive our brother from our heart. It needs to be a true act of forgiveness, coming from the heart, and that is where the love of God dwells. Forgiveness is a beautiful gift and we need to pray for that gift each day. As our Heavenly Father has forgiven us, so we must do the same for others. There are no limits to forgiveness, it is forever. God Bless!

Saint Clare

We know about Saint Francis of Assisi, but today, the Universal Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi. She was born in 1193 and followed her fellow citizen, Francis, in a life of poverty. She founded an order of nuns and they are known today as the Poor Clare Nuns. Saint Clare lived an austere life but it was filled with works of charity and piety. One of the commentators writes this, "The name 'Clare' means light. By the holiness of her life and the depth of her love for Christ, Saint Clare is a mirror in which we see the light of his face" (Magnificat, 152). This is a beautiful image to think about. We are called to see the face of Christ in our brothers and sisters. How about ourselves? Do people see the face of Christ in us by how we live, work, and pray? Saint Clare had a joyful spirit and that same spirit is found in the lives of her nuns today. May we be strengthened by Saint Clare's intercession so that we can share the face and joy of Christ with others. Have a blessed day!!!

Being Prepared!

This past weekend, the faithful heard a powerful message coming from Luke's Gospel, 12:35-40. The message was about being prepared for the return of our Lord. Jesus says to his disciples and us: "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival" and "You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." I am reminded of a quote that comes from Saint Anselm, a doctor of the Church, "One thing is certain, that is death, what is uncertain is its hour." If you were to look at Luke's Gospel several verses before this particular passage began you would have seen Jesus say, "Do not be afraid any longer..." That is an occuring theme of our Lord's, "Do not be afraid." We have been blessed with the gift of faith and that becomes important as we think about being prepared. This is a message that we need to focus on everyday because we do not know what the future holds for any of us. However, we do know that our Lord has gone to prepare a place for us and he will come back to take us with him. Let us continue to pray for a strong faith and ask the Lord to help us to always be ready, to always be prepared. God Bless!!!

Transfiguration of the Lord

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is our glimpse of glory, the hope of the Resurrection that is to come. I think the commentator in the Magnificat magazine says it best, "Christ's Tabor radiance is a kind of mirror in which we glimpse the glory that God wills to give his friends. The resplendence of the Transfiguration reveals the fullness of life destined to be ours. The Transfiguration invites us to configuration. As we peer into the glory that pours from every pore of the transfigured Christ, we cast off everything unworthy of our personal relationship with the Infinite, and we take on the luster of the Son of God. Jesus gazes back at us with a luminous look of love that makes us desire to live his transparent beauty - to be luminaries. Silently from Tabor's splendor, the Savior begs: 'Become what you behold!'" (86). The preface for the Mass even said that the Transfiguration was meant to strengthen the disciples faith so that the scandal of the cross would not deter them in the mission or cause them to lose hope. This glimpse of glory gives us strength, especially to carry the crosses in our own lives, because we know the Lord is always present. Let us be strengthened by the Transfiguration and always wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a blessed day!!!

Our Lady of the Snows

The title of this blog brings up some great memories. One of my favorite places to visit is the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois, right across from St. Louis, Missouri. My first visit to the shrine came when I was a little boy in the early 1970's. About the only items on the grounds at the time was the outdoor ampitheater where Mass was celebrated during good weather, outdoor Stations of the Cross, and the Lourdes Grotto. My family and I went back to the shrine in 1985 and there were a lot more to the grounds including a motel, so it was a great place to stay. My memory from that visit was that I was able to serve the Sunday morning Mass at the outdoor ampitheater. I even told the priests that I encountered there, they were OMI's, or Oblates of Mary Immaculate, that I was wanting to be a priest. They would have liked me to join their order, but I felt called to be a diocesan priest. Since I went to seminary at Saint Meinrad in Indiana, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows was a great stopping point. I bring this memory up because the Universal Church celebrates today the Feast of Saint Mary Major. One of the four major basilicas in Rome is named Saint Mary Major. The basilica was erected in Rome by Pope Sixtus III and it honors Mary, the Mother of God. You might wonder the connection between the Basilica and the Shrine. It just so happened that a sign was given on where the Basilica of Saint Mary Major was to be built. It is built on the Esquiline Hill and the sign, a snow covered hill in August, thus Saint Mary Major and Our Lady of the Snows are the same. In a special way, let us pray that on this day and everyday our Blessed Mother will intercede for us with her motherly care. Our Lady of the Snows, pray for us!!!

Saint John Vianney

This past June, the Church concluded the observance of the "Year for Priests." It was a wonderful time to focus on the priesthood and to thank God for the gift of priests who are called to lead His people. The observance also acknowledged the
150th Anniversary of the death of Saint John Vianney, commonly known as the Cure of Ars. At the outset of the "Year for Priests," our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI declared that Saint John Vianney would be the patron saint for all the worlds priests. What a beautiful honor and a great example for us, especially as priests to call upon his intercession. As one author put it, "Saint John Mary Vianney exemplifies the holy simplicity of those who are not learned in the sense the world honors learning but who are immensely learned in the ways of God. Theirs is the true childlikeness which dares to praise God by their lives as well as by their words" (Magnificat, 60-61). We can learn a lot from this holy man who had a great skill in helping penitents who came to him. On a side note, the Supreme Convention for the Knights of Columbus is going on at this time in Washington, D.C. In his address, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said that, "everyday should be a year for priests." Our bishops and priests need the prayers and support of God's people. We are living in challenging times and we all need to pray and work together, clergy and laity. Let us pray that Saint John Vianney will intercede for us so that we can continue to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst. Blessings to you!!!

Fear Vs. Faith

The title of this blog entry comes from the commentary that was written for Mass on this August 3. The gospel today is from Matthew 14:22-36. It is the account of Jesus walking on the water and the disciples thinking it is a ghost. Our Lord assures them by saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Of course, Peter being the spokesperson says, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus invited Peter to come out and he did. However, Peter became frightened and began to sink and Jesus reached out and caught him. In reply to this, Jesus said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt." A beautiful lesson for us, do not doubt and have courage and faith. According to the commentator there is another beautiful message to take from this gospel. "The point is not that Peter lost his focus and thus sank. He should never have left the boat in the first place. Jesus had promised to be with them. This storm might be scary, but it will not sink the boat. It takes strong faith to remain in a storm-battered boat just as it takes strong faith to remain in a conflict-ridden church. Our challenge is not to walk on water but to remain in the boat, exercising a faith that affirms no matter how bad it might seem, Jesus the Lord is with us, and we will get through this storm" (Loose Leaf Lectionary, 3640). What a great thought for us today and always. No matter what happens to us in this life, we need a strong faith and live always with the promise that Jesus is with us until the end of the age. God Bless!!!

The Voice of God

Listening is an acquired discipline. We not only listen with our physical ears but we also listen with the ears of faith. Like the gospel acclamation for Monday's Mass says, "One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." The prophet Jeremiah writes, "Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people" (7:23). From this passage, the commentator writes, "What God's voice tells us is the true story of his incredible love for us. No other storyteller, however gifted, can paint for us the full, living portrait of who we are and have been, and who we are becoming. Let us listen attentively, lest we forget and try to remake ourselves according to some other image" (Magnificat, 36-37). The voice of God speaks to us through the scriptures, through prayer, and through the voices of others. We always have to discern or pray about the voice that we listen to in our lives. We know there are many voices calling out to us but only one voice needs to be loud and clear. That voice is, the voice of God. Have a blessed day!!!