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!!!

Stewardship- A Way of Life!

Over the last several years, the Diocese of Salina, Kansas, which is my home diocese, has been moving in a stewardship direction. Like the title says, Stewardship is a way of life. Everything that we have is a gift from God and we are to return to God what He has given to us. We do that by returning to God what is commonly known as the 3 T's: Time, Talent, and Treasure. Whenever people hear the word stewardship they think of money or the treasure part, but that is not the case. Stewardship is more than giving our 10% back to God, but it is giving our time and talent, to be of service to our brothers and sisters. Last weekend or this weekend, parishes in our diocese are listening to a CD that our bishop, Paul Coakley, put together regarding the pastoral plan for our diocese, "Stewards of Hope." If you would like to learn more about this plan or stewardship, you can visit our diocesan website at: www.salinadiocese.org. In his message, Bishop Coakley said that stewardship and stewards of hope will be with us for ever. The pastoral plan is to renew and recharge the faith of our diocese by focusing on different aspects. Those aspects range from keeping the Lord's Day holy to Marriage and Family to Religious Education, and so on. Stewardship is an important component of this plan because as we live our faith and the call to holiness, we are living that stewardship way of life. As the Lord calls us to be disciples, so we are also called to be stewards. This is a topic that can be continued in length because there is so much to learn, but most importantly, it is a way of life. Have a blessed day!!!