Saint Ignatius of Loyola

On this final day of July, the Universal Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Saint Ignatius is known as the founder of the Society of Jesus, but we know them as the Jesuit Order. It is said that Saint Ignatius exercised a most fruitful apostolate by his written works and how he trained his disciples. Of course, the Jesuit Order is still going strong today. As part of the opening prayer states: "God gave Saint Ignatius to the Church to bring greater glory to His name." How powerful is the name of Jesus? The entrance antiphon to the Mass says it all and it is one of my favorite scripture passages: "At the name of Jesus every knee must bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; every tongue should proclaim to the glory of God the Father: Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. 2:10-11). This is a scripture passage that I think about every time I genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament. We are to show proper honor, reverence, and respect to the name and presence of Our Lord. Pray that Saint Ignatius will intercede for us and may we grow in love for Jesus because there is power in his name. Have a blessed day!

Saint Peter Chrysologus

Today we remember the memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus who was born about the year 380 in Imola, Emilia, and there entered the priesthood. He was elected bishop of Ravenna in 424 and instructed his flock by his learned sermons and writings. He died around the year 450 (Magnificat, 405). As part of the opening prayer states: "The Father made Peter Chrysologus an outstanding preacher of your incarnate Word. May the prayers of Saint Peter help us to cherish the mystery of our salvation and make its meaning clear in our love for others." We preach, not only with words, but with our very lives. The love and service that we show to others truly speaks volumes. May Saint Peter intercede for us and help us to always be effective preachers in our present day. God Bless!!!

Saint Martha

Our brief history states: "Saint Martha was a sister of Mary and Lazarus. When she received the Lord as a guest in Bethany, she looked after him with devoted attention. She begged the Lord to raise her brother, Lazarus, from the dead" (Magnificat, 391). Two gospel passages are offered for our consideration on this feast day. The first is John's Gospel (11:19-27), where Martha tells Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." The second is Luke's Gospel
(10:38-42), where Martha tells Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her. Obviously Martha was not afraid to tell the Lord what she was thinking. Jesus had a response for her each time. He told her that her brother would rise and asked for her confession of faith. Then, Our Lord told Martha that she was anxious and worried about many things and that Mary had chosen the better part. In each instance, Martha received a valuable lesson. We also receive a valuable lesson as we celebrate this feast today. As part of the opening prayer reads, "By her (St. Martha's) prayers may we serve Christ in our brothers and sisters and be welcomed by you into heaven, our true home." May Saint Martha intercede for us as we live the gift of faith and service to the fullest. Have a blessed day!

Blessing of People!

Have you ever had things come to your mind after the fact? We live busy lives and there is always something going on. Our minds are racing 100 miles a minute. After something happens we realize we should have made mention of it. That thought hit my mind on July 27 because that day would have been my grandmother's 109th birthday if she was still alive. Of course, the day before, the church celebrated the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of our Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. My grandmother was the only grandparent I ever knew. The other grandparents had passed away before I came along. There is always a time for us to thank God for the blessing of family and friends. People come into our lives at all different times, family and friends alike. These are the people who love us, care about us, and want the best for us in life. We realize that life is a continuous journey, but our ultimate goal is always in front of us, getting to Heaven. We help one another and support one another in that journey. As we think about the holy men and women that the church holds up for us and all the people that we encounter in our daily life, we cannot help but think that there is a reason why things happen and a reason why we are living at this particular time. God has a plan for each of us and each day we continue to write a chapter in salvation history. Family and friends are very important. Do not be afraid to thank them for their presence in your life and always thank God for those blessings He gives to us each day. Thank God for my family, my friends, and my parish families because we are all on this journey together. God Bless!!!

Power of Prayer!

This past weekend I told the story of when I was an associate pastor a number of years ago. I had gotten into the habit of bowing my head after I proclaimed the gospel and prayed that God will help me to preach and that the people would receive a good message. I tried to do this so people would not notice me. However, one young boy took notice and he asked me about it one Sunday as he was preparing to serve that Mass. I told him I bowed my head in prayer to preach a good homily. His response was, "How come God hasn't heard your prayer yet!" It was definitely a reality check but I did not give up. Instead, I persevered in prayer and kept being persistent. Prayer is a very powerful gift and it is one that we need to use each day of our lives. I have seen the power of prayer in peoples' lives and it is very moving. It is truly powerful when people say you were an answer to prayer. I take that very seriously and who am I to question God? We pray to keep those communication lines with God open. We know that God listens to our prayers and He answers them, maybe not as we would like, but always remember, God knows what is best for us. Take the time to pray each and everyday because it will do wonders in our lives and it is truly powerful! God Bless!!!

Saints Joachim and Anne

At one of my parishes, Saint John the Baptist, in Hanover, Kansas there is a high altar that depicts several saints. One of those saints is Saint Anne. Saint Anne might be a better known name than Saint Joachim, but these two saints are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the grandparents of Jesus Christ. It is their feast that we celebrate on the 26th day of July. According to the history, "From an ancient tradition, going back even to the second century, the parents of the Virgin Mary are known by the names of Joachim and Anne. Devotion to Saint Anne is found in the sixth century in the East, and by the tenth century it was widespread in the West. Saint Joachim was likewise honored, but at a more recent date" (Magnificat, 356). Something else to think about regarding Saints Joachim and Anne: from the Book of Sirach, "Remember, of these parents you were born; what can you give them for all they gave you" (7:28)? Then the commentary says: "The memorial of the couple identified by tradition as the parents of the Virgin Mary gives reason to rejoice in the gift of family life and to reflect on the mutual responsibility parents and children have to love one another and lead one another to holiness" (Magnificat, 353-54). Saints Joachim and Anne are a great example for us in how to live as a family and may their intercession be with all families as we strive to live the gifts of faith, holiness, and love. God Bless!!!

R & R

Sorry for being away from the blog for a couple of days but had the opportunity to take a couple days to get away from the regular routine. Preparing for a bigger vacation later this summer. One thing to remember is no matter what you are doing or where you are going, never take a vacation from God. Make the time each day to keep that contact with God in prayer. We need prayer in our lives. We need to connect each day with the continuous conversation that is going on between the Father and the Son. If you are going to be gone over a weekend make Mass an important part of your time away. That is why when you plan a vacation make sure you know where the available churches are and what time Mass will be. Even though we might need the break from our usual routine, we never need time away from God. In fact, we need God everyday of our lives. Someone asked me what I do when I travel. If I travel alone I make sure I know where the nearest Catholic Church is and make sure I take the time to pray, especially the Liturgy of the Hours or the Rosary. What is nice when I travel with a friend, especially a priest, we take a Mass kit with us and always pray together. Whether individually or as a family, take the time for R & R, but never forget God because through Him we live, move, and have our being. God Bless!!!

God's Will!

These two words really mean action. We have heard before that we need to do God's will or if something happens in our lives we might say that it is God's will. The will of God is an action that we are called to do. In the gospel from Saint Matthew (12:46-50), we read that Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him. When told that his mother and brothers wanted to speak to him Jesus said, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Stretching his hand towards the disciples he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." All of us, we are the disciples of today, and Jesus is talking to us, just like he talked to those before. We are the ones who are called to live the will of God in our lives. What is the will of God? To proclaim and live the Good News each day. We also pray that the will of God will be revealed to us each day. God has a plan for each of us, a reason we are here on earth at this particular time. We know that we are to live the commandments each day and in a special way to live the commandments of love, love of God and love of neighbor. Let us not be afraid to follow the will of God in our lives. Like the example of our Blessed Mother, she had questions about how the birth of the Savior would come about, but when it came to decision time, she totally gave herself to God's will. We ask for Mary's intercession and the grace of God as we live His plan, His will each day of our lives. Have a blessed day!

The Saint of Faith!

Yesterday I focused on "Seeing is Believing." Today I would like to focus on a saint who was challenged to grow in his faith. Earlier this month, the Church celebrated the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Saint Thomas is known as "Doubting" Thomas because our Lord had to spur him on in his faith. Think back to Jesus' Resurrection. The disciples were locked in the upper room when Jesus appeared to them but Thomas was not there. As the disciples told Thomas they had seen the Lord, his response was, I will not believe it until I put my finger into the nailmarks and my hand into his side. The next time Jesus appeared Thomas was with them and our Lord called him front and center. Jesus told Thomas not to persist in his unbelief but believe. Then for our benefit Jesus goes on to say, "blessed are those who have not seen but have believed." We have not seen but we believe that Jesus is present and his promise to be with us until the end of time still stands. Several years ago I heard someone say that we should give our guardian angel a name because we can identify with them. The name I chose for my guardian angel was Thomas. I know that I can always use a tune-up when it comes to my faith and so I look to Thomas for this guidance and prayers because he is the saint of faith. Have a blessed day!!!

Seeing is Believing!

The title of today's blog is a familiar line to us, "Seeing is Believing." How many times have we heard that? Maybe we are one of those people who say that a lot. I have used this line for homilies when I am talking about faith. In order to believe we would like to see but we know that does not always happen. We have to take things on faith and that is where we pray that our faith will always be strong. The gospel from St. Matthew today is just like that (12:38-42). Some of the Scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus that they would like to see a sign but no sign would be given. The only sign that is given is that as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the earth. As Jesus said, there is something greater here. Jesus is the one who comes to redeem us, to save us. As our Lord says elsewhere in the gospels, you have faith in God, so also have faith in me. We need to grow and nurture our faith for it is also a precious gift from God. We may not be able to see in order to believe, but we can see all things with the eyes of faith. God Bless you today!!!

Joy of Hospitality

The readings that we have for this Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time show the joy of giving and receiving. From Genesis 18:1-10, the Lord appeared to Abraham. As Abraham sat by the entrance of his tent he saw three men. He ran to them and greeted them. Then he offered them the gifts of hospitality: bringing water to bathe their feet, offering them rest, and bringing them food. The surprise came at the end of the reading when one of the men told Abraham that he would return about this time next year and Sarah, Abraham's wife, would have a son. In Luke's Gospel, 10:38-42, Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. Martha is busy with the aspects of hospitality while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus listening to his words. Being anxious and worried, Martha tells our Lord what to do, "Tell my sister to help me." Jesus offers Martha this thoughtful reminder, "Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." We can see how these individuals gave but also received, the gift of a son and a lesson from our Lord on what is really important. That is the joy of hospitality! It is a two way street, we give and we receive. May we always be open to the ways that God works in our lives, the lives of others, and the way we show our hospitality! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

What a beautiful memorial we have today as we celebrate our Blessed Mother Mary under the patronage of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. This feast was instituted in the fourteenth century by the Carmelite Order to commemorate the day in 1251 when our Blessed Mother gave the brown scapular to Saint Simon Stock. Many people wear the brown scapular as a sign of reverence and devotion. Here is a quote from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: "The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer" (205). We look to our Blessed Mother Mary who gave us a wonderful example of giving herself totally to the will of God and who continues to guide us along the way with her loving, maternal hand. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us!!!

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

What a beautiful memorial we celebrate today. This memorial is for the United States since we honor one of our own. Kateri was born in 1656 near the town of Auriesville, New York and she was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She devoted her life to prayer, penitential practices, and the care of the sick and aged. Because of her faith she incurred the hostility of her tribe, but she was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified. She is called the "Lily of the Mohawks." She died in 1680 and was beatified June 22, 1980. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is the first native American to be declared "Blessed" (Magnificat, 182). The opening prayer for Mass recalls her example of innocence of life. We pray that through her intercession that all peoples of every tribe, tongue, and nation will proclaim the greatness of God in one song of praise. We also pray that God will raise Blessed Kateri to the altars of sainthood. May Blessed Kateri intercede for us and may her prayers help us in our journey of faith, our journey to the kingdom. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Henry

We take the optional memorial of Saint Henry today. He was born in Bavaria in 973. He succeeded his father in ruling over a duchy and was later elected emperor. He was most remarkable for his work in Church reform and for fostering missionary activity. He died in 1024 and made a saint by Pope Eugene III in 1146 (Magnificat, 170). In Matthew's Gospel for today we hear Jesus reproaching the towns where he performed many deeds because they had not repented (Mt. 11:20). To repent of our sins is a continual call. We are reminded that we are sinners in need of God's mercy and forgiveness and for our part, we need to turn away from sin and turn back to God, to repent. We are given divine assistance today in the life of Saint Henry. As the opening prayer states, "Lord, you filled Saint Henry with your love and raised him from the cares of an earthly kingdom to eternal happiness in heaven." That is our hope! We all look forward to that day when we can enter God's eternal kingdom. The next line of the prayer is key to our repentance "In the midst of the changes in this world, may his (Saint Henry's) prayers keep us free from sin and help us on our way toward you." Let us look to the intercession of Saint Henry as we continue our journey of repentance and faith! Have a blessed day!!!

Call of Discipleship

As we begin this new week, we receive the same message that we have been hearing for some time now, the call of discipleship. This is a very important message that we need to listen to and above all, follow! In Matthew's Gospel for today we hear Jesus say, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mt. 10). That does not mean that we are to stop loving our family and friends, but it means that these relationships and our very life should not hinder us in our relationship with Jesus. As one of the commentators for today says, "This priority of loving is crucial in order to enable us to love adequately our loved ones. We take up our cross and follow after Jesus in order to become 'worthy' of Jesus - to love with his love" (Magnificat, 160). We pray that the heart of Jesus will be our heart and that we will love others as he loves us. It is a beautiful call! By living the call to discipleship and love, we can grow in our relationship with Jesus and with one another! Have a great day!

Neighborly Compassion and Love

The gospel reading for this weekend is a beautiful parable, the parable of the Good Samaritan. This man came upon the victim of robber's and cared for him with love and compassion. Jesus tells us at the end of the gospel that we are to go and do likewise. There are many opportunities for us each day to share the life and love of Christ with our brothers and sisters. If July 11 had not fallen on a Sunday, we would be celebrating the feast day of St. Benedict. He has become one of my favorite saints because of my Benedictine training in the seminary and growing to love Benedictine spirituality. St. Benedict wrote a rule for his monks and that rule has been followed since the sixth century. There is a piece in the rule that talks about how to receive guests, who can also be our neighbor. "All guests to the monastery should be welcomed as Christ, because He will say, 'I was a stranger and you took me in' (Mt. 25:35). Show them every courtesy, especially servants of God and pilgrims. The greeting and farewell should be offered with great humility for with bowed head and a prostrate body all shall honor in the guests the person of Christ. For it is Christ who is really being received" (#53). Let us pray that St. Benedict will intercede for us as we follow the Lord's call to go and do likewise, living the love of God and neighbor.

Witnesses of Holiness

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions. A brief history tells us that from the 17th Century to the present day, Catholics of China have been subjected to several episodes of violent persecution. Some of these witnesses of faith and holiness, as one commentator described it, were raised to the altars of sainthood in the year 2000, when they were canonized by the Venerable Pope John Paul II. Those who were canonized numbered 120 and they were Chinese Catholics and foreign missionaries who were martyred from 1648 to 1930. Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was one of 29 priests (including six bishops) in this group of martyrs (Magnificat, 125). As the first part of the opening prayer says, "Father, we celebrate the memory of St. Augustine and his companions who died for their faithful witnessing to Christ. Give us the strength to follow their example" (125). We look to the holy men and women to be an example of how to live our lives and our faith. As they were witnesses of holiness for us, may we have the courage to go forth and do the same.

For Priestly Vocations!

It seems that the readings for this week at Mass have a vocation point of view. Jesus gave the disciples instructions on what they are to do as they visit the towns he was intending to visit. Today, it was recommended that the prayers for the Mass be for Priestly Vocations. I love the opening prayer because it acknowledges that the Father, in His plan for salvation, provide shepherds for the people. It goes on to ask that God raise up worthy ministers for the altars and that they be gentle servants of the Gospel. That is what our Lord is asking the disciples to do in Matthew's gospel (10:7-15). Proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand, cure the sick, and bring peace to all people. This is the message that we are called to proclaim in our present day. We pray that God will send laborers, priests and religious, to work in the harvest fields. We also pray for ourselves as disciples that we will fulfill the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us.

One Body of Christ

In our gospel for today, Jesus summons the twelve disciples again, calling them to drive out the unclean spirits and curing every disease and illness. What is interesting is that Matthew names the 12 apostles whom Jesus sent out. According to a commentary for this gospel, there is a reason that Matthew calls these apostles by name. The author notes that these apostles were a diverse group with a style quite unlike Jesus. Several of the apostles were fisherman, one was a tax collector, one a Zealot, and one who hardly needs any mention. The statement at the end of the commentary is what really hits home. "These twelve disciples remind us that differing temperaments, opposing viewpoints, and opposition within the ranks have been a part of the church from the beginning. Here is a reminder of what St. Paul says. As diverse as we are, together we are the Body of Christ called to live out the gospel message" (Lectionary for Mass, 3540). Times have changed but the call of Christ to proclaim the Good News is still loud and clear. It is amazing how God brings people together, from differing backgrounds, personalities, and viewpoints, and makes us the one Body of Christ. We have been entrusted with a great mission and we pray that God will continue to sustain us and give us the grace and strength that we need to bring His work to completion.

Praying for Vocations!!!

In this past Sunday's gospel, Jesus sent the seventy two disciples ahead of him to prepare the towns that he intended to visit. The first thing Jesus said to them was this, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest" (Lk. 10). Surprisingly enough, the conclusion of the gospel for this Tuesday is exactly the same. Jesus was looking at the crowds and his heart was moved with pity because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus said, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest" (Mt. 9:38). Of course, you notice the difference. The passage is the same but two different gospels. Obviously this was an important statement because the two authors of these gospels kept it word for word. This statement still rings true today. The harvest is abundant but laborers are few. We need to ask the master, God, to send laborers into His harvest. That is our call to pray for vocations, namely to the priesthood and religious life. Ultimately we need to pray for ourselves because our main vocation is to discipleship. Let us pray that the Lord will give us the grace and strength that we need to proclaim the Good News and continue the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us. God Bless, Dear Friends!!!

A Brand New Year

For many places, the Church included, July 1 begins a new fiscal year. That means books have to be closed and reports written. In terms of the priesthood, many dioceses have July 1 as the official date for new priestly assignments to take effect. That was true for me one year ago. I made my way to the parishes of Washington County, Kansas on June 30, 2009, so I could begin my work on July 1. It is never an easy task to move into a new area, start meeting new people, and try to figure out how things operate. My main duties include 3 parishes and 1 school. It is definitely a lot of work for one person to do, but I have been blessed by the people who have come forward to help me as we all continue the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us. This is certainly a brand new year and I pray that God will continue to bring the good work that has begun to a joyful and blessed completion!!!