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!