Called to Preach!!!

Jesus is a great example when it comes to teaching and preaching. In fact, our Lord is the "Master Teacher" and "Master Preacher." The gospel for today, Luke 4:38-44, shows Jesus healing Simon's mother-in-law and healing all those who came to him. Then early in the morning, Jesus goes to a deserted place and that is key. Our Lord invites us to get away and spend time with God in prayer. Jesus is a tremendous example of that because he knew the need to communicate with his Heavenly Father. He wants us to take the time to pray each day and in most cases several times a day. Do not give up on prayer and keep those communication lines open with God at all times. When the people found Jesus he said, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent." That is our call as well. We need to proclaim the Good News, not just with words, but with our very lives. We take the Good News with us and we touch peoples lives as we preach. We never know where God will lead us but we know that wherever it is, we need to preach and bring the message of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters. Our Lord calls us to be disciples, he call us to preach. Let us not be afraid to do just that as we trust in God's grace and the power of prayer! Have a blessed day!!!

Remembering St. John the Baptist

Being the pastor of a parish named after Saint John the Baptist, how could I forget to mention the feast day on August 29. I can say that the intercession of Saint John the Baptist was with my family on that day. I have mentioned my parents on several occasions in my blog. Now, we have begun another chapter in our lives. It was a tough decision, but because of my parents health, they sold everything and are living with me in the rectory. Even though I have my mother's help, I have become the primary caregiver. On August 29, my dad had a heart catherization in Wichita because he has been having chest pains. The test revealed that his heart is good and the problems associated with it can be treated with medicine. That was great news and I thank the intercession of Saint John and the prayers of the people that I told. One of the commentaries that I saw for the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist said it all, "John put his trust in the word of God he had been sent to preach and not in the princes whom he offended by his commitment to the truth. He defeated the power of evil not by violence but by his self-surrender to God's will" (Magnificat, 381-82). A wonderful example of not being afraid as our Lord said many times to those he spoke to, "Do not be afraid." We are to proclaim the Good News with boldness, commitment, dedication, faithfulness, and holiness. We do so, not just with words, but with our very lives. May Saint John intercede for us and help us to put our total faith and trust in the living God, for it is His will that we are called to follow! God Bless You!!!

What A Change!!!

Last weekend, we heard Peter make his confession of faith saying that Jesus, "Is the Christ, the Son of the living God." After he made that confession Jesus told Peter that he is rock and upon that rock the church will be built. Our Lord even gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. This week is a different story! In Matthew 16:21-27, Jesus tells his disciples about his approaching death and the resurrection. Peter rebukes our Lord and says, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." In response, Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." That is an interesting comment from our Lord but he knew what his mission was and what he came to do. God sent His only Son into the world to die for us so that we may be saved and through his resurrection have the hope of eternal life. The second part of that gospel is Jesus' challenge to his disciples and to us: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI writes, "The cross forces us to look upon the fact that we are loved by God. The cross becomes a new center of gravity for the bringing together of what is divided" (Magnificat, 373). As we accept our Lord's challenge, we do not know what crosses we will have to carry, but we have faith and trust that our Lord is with us each step of the way. To get to the resurrection we need to go through the cross. Let us pray that we may accept this challenge, pick up the cross and follow our Lord, because his words and his life is the way to eternal happiness. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Reinforce Staying Awake!

The gospel for today, Matthew 25:1-13, reinforces that need to stay awake and be prepared. Jesus uses the parable about the 10 virgins, 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. The bridegroom was delayed in coming so the virgins became drowsy and fell asleep. When the cry went out for the bridegroom was coming the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The 5 foolish ones did not have oil so they asked the wise ones for some of their oil and they said no. By the time the 5 foolish virgins had come back from the merchants the bridegroom had come and the door was locked. The moral of this gospel is, "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." This reminder to stay awake, be prepared, be ready is excellent. We need to keep it before our eyes at all times. Once again, we can go back to what Saint Benedict tells his monks, "Keep death before your eyes daily." Even Saint Anselm has a great quote for us to think about, "One thing is certain, that is death. What is uncertain is its hour." The reminders are there, we just need to listen to them, take them to heart, and put them into practice. Let us do what we can to be ready and prepared, especially in our faith and in our relationship with others. We want to make sure we are right with God and one another. It is good to have a friendly reminder, but let us keep that reinforcement strongly in our mind and heart! God Bless You!!!

Stay Awake!

Matthew 24:42-51 gives us this phrase for today. These are the words of Jesus to his disciples but also to us as well. "Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come." Jesus talks about the master of the house and if he had known when the thief was coming he would have stayed awake and not lost any possessions. We are talking about our very lives! Each one of us needs to be ready, needs to be prepared because we do not know the hour of our Lord's return or even when our own death will occur. We hear this reminder during the Advent Season when the Church invites us to prepare and wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior. However, this is an invitation that we need to keep everyday. One of my favorite saints, Saint Benedict, told his monks in the Rule to keep death before them daily. There are no guarantees in life, we just have to be ready for what is to come. Let us take this reminder to heart and do what we need to do in our lives and in our faith to get ready, to be prepared, for the Son of Man will come when we least expect! Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Bartholomew

On this first day of school for us in Hanover, Kansas we began our day by celebrating Mass and the Feast of Saint Bartholomew. Our opening song for Mass was, "God has chosen me." A very appropriate song because our Lord has called us to be his disciples. I like the gospel for today, John 1:45-51, because there is a familiar line that I have always enjoyed. Nathanael or Bartholomew could not believe that anything good could come from Nazareth and Philip said to him, "Come and see!" I remember from my days in the seminary that usually each semester they would have "Come and See Weekends," where those who were thinking about the priesthood and following God's call in their life would come and see if this was the place for them. I can say that it worked because I was an accepted recipient from a come and see weekend. Bartholomew came to believe in Jesus as the Son of God because our Lord told him that before Philip called him, he saw him sitting under a fig tree. As we begin a new year of academic work, it is a time to grow in our faith and our call to live as disciples. What a great example we have for today. May Saint Bartholomew intercede for us as we continue our journey of faith! Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Rose of Lima

As we celebrate the memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, we have a great example to follow when it comes to penance. In her biography, it says that after she took the habit of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, she progressed greatly in penance and contemplation. Even the opening prayer for Mass makes note of this, "Saint Rose gave up everything to devote herself to a life of penance" (Magnificat, 318). Penance is a gift that we are to live each day, not just during the penitential seasons, but everyday. We are asked to make an examination of conscience everyday so that we can seek forgiveness from the sins we have committed. We are all sinners in need of God's mercy and forgiveness and we need to turn away from all temptation and sin and turn back to God. The opening prayer also said this, and perhaps we can make it our prayer today as well, "By the help of her prayers may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven"
(318). May we learn from the example of Saint Rose to grow in penance and to contemplate the goodness of God in our lives. Saint Rose of Lima, pray for us!!! Blessings to you!

Queenship of Mary

It was just a week ago that the Church celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now, we celebrate the Queenship of Mary. Our Blessed Mother is crowned queen of heaven and earth. One of the commentaries for today says it all, "The Blessed Virgin Mary has been crowned queen in virtue of the Lord Jesus Christ, her Son, who is the king of the universe. In heaven as one earth, she points the way not to her own glory but to his, with which she has been robed and which she seeks only to reflect" (Magnificat, 303). Mary continues to point the way to her son, Jesus Christ. She intercedes on our behalf and helps us with her guidance and example. What a beautiful example the Blessed Mother has given to us. She gave herself totally to the will of God. Her "yes" is a key component in salvation history. In our own lives, we are called to respond to the will of God with a resounding yes! We need to put our total faith and trust in the living God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. Mary gives us that divine assistance at all times. Let us trust in her prayers and intercession as we continue our journey to the kingdom. God Bless You!!!

Stories of Faith

Stained glass windows have a story to tell! That is one of the reasons why stained glass came into prominence because it brought stories of the Bible and the lives of the saints to life. It is remarkable to go in different churches and see the beauty of the windows. One of the windows in the church that I serve, St. John the Baptist, depicts the story of what we hear in our gospel for this weekend. In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks his disciples who the people say that he is. They tell him what they have heard but then he narrows the question down to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter, being the spokesperson for the disciples says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The faith of the church is built upon this confession of Peter. Then Jesus says, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys tot he kingdom of heaven." The stained glass window depicts that moment. It shows Peter kneeling in front of our Lord, with him handing the keys to Peter. What is interesting about this window also is that St. Peter's Basilica is in the background. You know the window is dated but we know St. Peter's was not built yet. However, the point is that Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ and the church is built upon that confession, that rock. In our present day, we continue to build on that foundation that was put forth so many centuries ago. Let us pray that we will remain strong in our faith, share that faith with others, and live it to the fullest! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Saint John Eudes

We celebrate the memorial of Saint John Eudes! Saint John was born in 1601 in France. After his ordination to priesthood he spent several years in giving missions. Then he founded congregations dedicated to improving priestly formation and to encouraging morally endangered women to lead Christian lives. Saint John had a great devotion to the hearts of Jesus and Mary. He died in 1680 (Magnificat, 270). I chose this memorial today because Saint John's devotion to the hearts of Jesus and Mary caught my attention. The gospel for today was perfect, Matthew 22:34-40, where Jesus talks about the two great commandments, Love of God and love of neighbor. Our hearts beat, thanks to God, but they beat with love. Hopefully we can live that gift of love each day. God created us out of love and He calls us to share that love with others. The hearts of Jesus and Mary beat with love for us and they are always ready to help us with divine assistance. We ask Saint John Eudes to intercede for us, that our hearts will be filled with the love of God and that we can make that love known to all peoples! God Bless You!!!

Opening Wide the Doors!

The parishes that I serve have been doing some updating, work projects that have needed to be done for some time. One of the parishes is receiving a new front door. As I was standing there watching the people work and the big open space where the old doors once stood, I could not help but think about the call that brought us into the new millenium, "Open Wide the Doors to Christ!" Blessed John Paul II used that theme and it is still appropriate for our times. Our churches are a house of prayer. It is the place where we gather each week to be fed by God's Word and nourished with our Lord's Body and Blood. At the conclusion of Mass we are told to go forth, to love and serve the Lord and one another. In other words, open wide the doors to Christ in everything you do and in all the people you meet. Jesus tells us to not be afraid. Even when he got in the boat with the disciples he said, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" We cannot be afraid to live our faith in the world, in our very communities. We need to be strong, dedicated, faithful, determined disciples of Jesus Christ. The mission of the church is entrusted to us and we need to do our part as we build up the Kingdom of God in our midst. What I saw today is a literal opening of the doors, material doors, but just think what we can do as we open the doors of faith and open wide the doors to Christ. Blessings to you!!!

Equal Treatment!

Our gospel today, Matthew 20:1-16, gives us a great presentation of equal treatment. The landowner went out at different times of the day and found people to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them the usual daily wage. At the end of the day, the people who were hired last were paid first and they received the daily wage. The ones hired first figured they would get more, but when their payment came, they received the same daily wage as the others. That did not set well with the ones who were hired first. However, the landowner did say, "My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?" You received what you agree to so now go. The landowner was generous with his money and he followed the agreement that had been set. In other words, the landowner show no partiality, no favoritism. That exists in our world and it has for centuries. With God, there is no partiality, no favoritism. God treats us equally and He will judge us equally. The love, mercy, compassion of God are unconditional. There are no limits to what God does for us. That is an example for all of us, to treat others with equality, dignity, and respect. Let us pray for the grace to listen to these words and put them into practice. As the gospel acclamation states, "The word of God is living and effective, able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart." God Bless You!!!

Saint Stephen of Hungary!

I chose to celebrate the Memorial of Saint Stephen of Hungary because I liked what the opening prayer said, "Grant that Saint Stephen of Hungary, who fostered the growth of your Church on earth, may continue to be a our powerful helper in heaven" (Magnificat, 235). That really says it all about our journey here on earth and how we are to continue to the mission of the church. We can even sing the song of the psalmist who writes, "May all your works praise you, Lord, and your saints bless you; they will tell of the glory of your kingdom and proclaim your power" (Ps. 144:10-11). We pray that all we do here on earth will be for the glory of God and the common good of all peoples. We know what our mission is: proclaim the Good News, live our faith, and be of service to our brothers and sisters. May the intercession of Saint Stephen of Hungary help us to do just that! God Bless!!!

Solemnity of the Assumption!

A Blessed and Happy Feast Day to all the readers of the blog! This is a joyous day as we celebrate our Blessed Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven. We are thankful to God for the gift of our Blessed Mother and we rejoice as Mary did in her Magnificat that we read in our gospel for today, Luke 1:39-56. As Mary said from the very beginning, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant." Our lives and our souls rejoice with Mary because God has truly fulfilled His promise by sending a Savior into the world to redeem us. Our minds, hearts, and souls are focused on what is to come, the full reality of God's eternal kingdom. Just think of these words of Blessed John Paul II, "The Blessed Mother's birth into heaven generates in us 'an ever new capacity to await God's future'" (Magnificat, 192). The Assumption of our Blessed Mother has been known for centuries. It is an important mystery in our faith. We pray that we may be ready for whatever comes our way and always keep our minds focused on the things that are above. May our Blessed Mother intercede for us and help us as we continue our journey of faith! Blessings to You!!!

Example of Faith

This weekend, listenly closely to the gospel, Matthew 15:21-28. Of course, all the readings at Mass are important because God speaks to us through Sacred Scripture. When you listen to this gospel however, you will see a woman of great faith. She was very persistent and did not give up in her efforts. As you will hear, her daughter was being tormented by a demon and she sought out Jesus to heal her. At first Jesus ignores her calls and even the disciples kept telling him to send her away. It was this discourse that made all the difference, the woman came forward and asked Jesus to help her and he said, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." Her response was, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." An interesting conversation but Jesus ackowledges that she is a woman of great faith and from that moment on her daughter was healed. This woman is like us at times when we get discouraged, disheartened, feel like giving up, but we don't. Instead, we are persistent in our faith, in our prayer, knowing that God will give us the grace and strength that we need. Like last weekend, no matter how rough the storms are, Jesus is in the boat with us, at all times. Let us learn a wonderful example this weekend and take it with us each day. Who knows, we just might be an example of faith to someone else. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal

Today I took the memorial for Saint Jane Frances to celebrate at Mass. Her life involved several vocations: wife, mother, and religious sister. The opening prayer for Mass acknowledges this: "Lord, you chose Saint Jane Frances to serve you both in marriage and in religious life. By her prayers help us to be faithful in our vocation and always be the light of the world" (Magnificat, 153). We always talk about the three vocations- married life, single life, priesthood and religious life. God calls us to live our respective vocations and He gives us the grace and strength that we need to live them to the fullest. Our main vocation is to be disciples, living the Good News and sharing the love of God with others. We can do that with those respective vocations as well. To be faithful and to be a light for the world. We need to live both and we pray that Saint Jane Frances de Chantal will intercede for us and help us to live out God's will in our lives. God Bless You!!!

Saint Clare

How quickly 15 years has passed but I remember fondly the pilgrimage that I made with several classmates to Assisi, Italy, the home of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. It was a wonderful journey, being able to see the important items associated with these two saints. The Basilica of Saint Clare was in another part of the city, down from the Basilica of Saint Francis. The church was beautiful and in a separate chapel hung the San Damiano Crucifix where our Lord spoke to Saint Francis telling him to go and rebuild his church. Saint Francis was thinking more of the church building but our Lord was talking about the people who make up the church. After all these centuries we are still growing as a church and we continually need to be rebuilt. The gospel for today is appropriate, Matthew 18:21-19:1. It is one of those gospels that we need to put into practice with our lives. Peter says to Jesus, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus' response is, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." The gift of forgiveness has no limits. It is a gift to be used at all times because God has forgiven us. Saint Clare and Saint Francis would want us to preach forgiveness, not just with words, but with our lives. Let us follow the example of these two saints and be an example of forgiveness as we go forth to build up the church in our midst. Saint Clare, pray for us!!!

Saint Lawrence

The Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Lawrence! He was a deacon of the Church of Rome and became a martyr during the persecution of Valerian. Devotion to Saint Lawrence became widespread in the Fourth Century (Magnificat, 130-31). We are blessed today to have another example of someone who gave their life for the sake of Christ, the sake of the gospel, the sake of the Church. Saint Lawrence truly lived the gospel that is proclaimed on his feastday, John 12:24-26. Here are some of the images that Jesus uses, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit." "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." "Whoever serves me must follow me." The gospel acclamation for this day truly sums it up, "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life, says the Lord." The light of Christ that we received at baptism still burns deep within and we pray each day that it will always burn bright. We look today to Saint Lawrence for his example and prayers. May we continue to follow the Lord each day, serving him and the needs of our brothers and sisters as we await the full reality of God's Kingdom. Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Truly a saint for our time, having lived in the last century. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was born Edith Stein in 1891 to Jewish parents. She was very intellectual, being educated at major German universities. She converted to Catholicism and in 1933 she joined the Discalced Carmelites taking the name, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was arrested on August 2, 1942 by the nazi regime and with other Catholics of Jewish extraction she was transported by cattle train to the death camp at Auschwitz and that is where she died in the gas chambers in that same year (Magnificat, 119-20). Sister Teresa Benedicta gave up everything for the sake of Christ and the gospel. The red vestments we wear today tells that she died a martyr and was not afraid. That phrase is key because it is a universal statement, "Do not be afraid." As the opening prayer at Mass states, "May her prayers be a source of help for us, and may her example of courage and chastity be our inspiration" (120). Let us make that our prayer as we pray for the intercession of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and follow the examples given to us by the holy women and men of the church. God Bless You!!!

Saint Dominic

Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order. The abbreviations for the order is "O.P.," Order of Preachers. We pray for all the Dominican men and women who follow the life and example of Saint Dominic. Thinking about preaching means that we are to practice what we preach, not just for priests and religious, but for all people. We are called to be an example of faith, hope, love, prayer, holiness to all of our brothers and sisters. I am blessed to have people in my life who remind of that need to practice what I preach. They don't say things in a critical way, but usually, "Did you hear what you just said?" A great reminder for all of us. I remember a news commentator who always said, "Say what you mean, and mean what you say!" If we are going to walk the walk, then we need to follow our own words as well. One of the my favorite lines from the Diaconate Ordination and I have kept those words close is, "Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach." The Church gives us holy men and women to follow their example and to pray for their intercession. As we strive to be better preachers, not just in word, but in deed, let us turn to Saint Dominic and ask his intercession! God Bless You!!!

A Faith-filled Weekend!

This weekend as we look at the liturgical calendar and our readings at Mass we are given hope and faith. On August 6, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration. It happened on Mount Tabor, where Jesus took his close disciples: Peter, James, and John. While they were there, Jesus was transfigured before them and he was seen conversing with Moses and Elijah. That was a glimpse of the glory that is to come. As one commentary states, "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" (Magnificat, 86). We live in a world where there is joy and sadness, accomplishments and struggles, but one thing is certain, there is a better place that awaits us and God gives us a glimpse because we live in hope and faith. In the gospel for this weekend, Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus comes out on the water to the disciples in the midst of a storm. Our Lord calms their fears by sayings, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Then, going a little further, Peter says that if it is you Lord, command me to come out to you. So the Lord invited Peter and he gets out of the boat. When he realizes what is going on he becomes afraid and is on the verge of sinking, so he cries out to the Lord for help. Jesus says, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Again, a message that calls for us to live in faith and hope. God blesses us with these great gifts and we need to pray for them each day. Pray that our hope, our faith will be strong and no matter what happens in life we know that we do not journey alone, the Lord is with us at all times, to calm our fears and assure us of the gifts of hope and faith. Have a blessed and faithfilled weekend! May that faith last forever!

Saint Mary Major!

Today we celebrate the feast of one of the four major basilicas, Saint Mary Major in Rome. The other basilicas being: Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Saint John Lateran, and Saint Peter's. I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful basilica in 1996 during my visit to Rome with seminary classmates. The highlight that I remember is the confessio below the main altar where there is a glass casket behind glass that contains pieces of lumber that tradition holds are from the manger. It was during the Council of Ephesus in 431 where the mother of Jesus was proclaimed as Mother of God. Pope Sixtus III erected a basilica dedicated to the honor of the holy Mother of God. It was given the title "Saint Mary Major" and is the oldest church in the West dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Magnificat, 74). We thank God for the gift of our Blessed Mother. He called her to be the only mother of His son and she accepted by telling the archangel Gabriel, "Be it done to me according to your word." We pray that we will always be open to the will of God in our lives and look to our Blessed Mother for her example and intercession! God Bless!!!

Saint John Vianney!

When I got home from having Mass and visiting people in Washington, KS, a community under my care, I had a message on my phone wishing me a happy feast day. This is a day to celebrate all priests because of Saint John Vianney. Not to long ago, the Catholic Church observed the "Year for Priests." During that time our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI made the announcement that Saint John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, would be known as the patron saint for all the world's priests. A look at his life shows how important Saint John Vianney was and is. "After overcoming many difficulties, Saint John was ordained a priest and was entrusted with the care of the parish in Ars, France. He cared for his parish in a marvelous way by his preaching, his mortification, prayer, and good works" (Magnificat, 63). Saint John Vianney is known for spending many hours in the confessional and guiding those who came to him for healing, forgiveness, and counsel. Saint John Vianney is a tremendous example for all priests and so as we celebrate our feast day let us ask Saint John to intercede for us. May his prayers guide us to be happy, healthy, and holy priests. Saint John Vianney, pray for us!!!

Persistance is always needed!

An example of persistence comes from Matthew's Gospel 15:21-28. In this passage a Canaanite woman is calling out to the Lord. Her daughter is being tormented by a demon and she wants Jesus to heal her. The discourse between the two is quite interesting. Jesus says, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." Her response was, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." This woman was not afraid to speak her mind to the Lord. She responded to him just as he responded to her. With her response, Jesus noted that she was a woman of great faith and that her daughter would be healed. The woman did not give up, did not lose heart, but she persisted in what she believed and knew the Jesus could help her and her family. The same is true for us, we need to be persistant in our lives, in our faith, in our prayer. We cannot give up and what a blessing it is to have people in our lives who help us see what is important. I smile when I think about this because I know persistance has paid off with me. This is an example that I need to learn and take to heart. Be confident, be strong, be persistant! We cannot give up because the Lord is counting on us to continue the mission entrusted to us and He wants us to be joyful in our life and in our faith. Sounds like I need to bring this item to prayer! Persistance is worth it as we strive to live our lives and our faith to the fullest. It is always needed!!! God Bless You!!!

Psalm 51

"Be merciful, O Lord for we have sinned!" I love that phrase and I love Psalm 51. It is a very penitential psalm and it says everything we need to know. Yes, we are sinners in need of God's mercy and forgiveness. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we know that mercy and forgiveness has been extended to us. I fell in love with Psalm 51 when I was in the seminary. That is the first psalm that is prayed every Friday at Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. I look forward to Fridays so I can offer that psalm, praying that it will rise like incense before the throne of God. Of course, it is a great psalm to say at any time. I have it marked in the Bible that I read from and I enjoy reading the commentary because it gives us hope. This psalm lets us know of second chances. No sin is too great for God's mercy and forgiveness. Once we approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation we know that God has forgiven us. The challenge is being able to forgive ourselves. Speaking of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I have given this psalm as a penance at times, so it is a great resource to refer people too, especially if they are struggling with mercy and forgiveness in their lives. Today, in your time of prayer, pick up the Bible and read Psalm 51. Allow those words to touch your mind and heart and let God do wonders in your life because His great love and mercy knows no bounds! Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Alphonsus Liguori

This previous weekend, our parishes were blessed to have Fr. Rafael Fuentes with us for our annual Mission Cooperative. Father Rafael works in Tanzania and is a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. He stayed over until today and we were able to celebrate Mass this morning for the Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Speaking of religious communities, Saint Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or the "Redemptorists." We pray for the Redemtorist Order worldwide as they celebrate this memorial of their founder. May they recommit themselves to living the witness of Saint Alphonsus in the world. For our part, take to heart these words of one of the commentators for today, "Saint Alphonsus was a servant and teacher of the love of Jesus Christ which requires that we take seriously the call to abandon sin and embrace the life of the Gospel without moral compromise" (Magnificat, 25). Through is own life, Saint Alphonsus set out to foster the Christian life and lead people to live the universal call to holiness. We pray for his intercession, that we may grow in our love and friendship with Christ the Redeemer, and live the call to faith and holiness to the fullest. Have a blessed day!!!