Ignatian Spirituality

The Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. We pray for those who follow the charism of Saint Ignatius, especially those in the Jesuit Order. One of the commentaries for today speaks very well of this memorial and the call to grow in our own spirituality. "Following Christ in obedience to God's will discerned in prayer was central to Saint Ignatius' spirituality. The law of the new covenant is an expression of God's love for us. It prescribes peace, justice, and love in place of the violence, oppression, and alienation we tend to create when we fail to listen to God's voice speaking in the depths of our heart" (Magnificat, 398). The first line of that commentary is key, "Following Christ in obedience to God's will discerned in prayer..." In fact, that is a very powerful statement. We are called to follow Christ and to be obedient to the will of God in our lives. The way that we can fulfill that call is through prayer. Great gifts that God gives to us so that we can live our faith, our spirituality to the fullest. May we take this statement to heart and make it a way of life. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Pray for Us!!!

Diocesan Celebration

This afternoon, clergy, religious, pastoral leaders, and the faithful will gather at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina, Kansas to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Diocese of Salina. The year started with the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help traveling across the diocese. The diocese in its early beginnings was the Diocese of Concordia and the cathedral was named Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Thus Our Lady is the principal patroness of the diocese. The icon will be processed into the cathedral to begin the celebration this afternoon. A history book was also completed to coincide with the anniversary and it was done very well. This is a day to reflect on our past, live in the present, and keep our focus on the future. In one of the petitions that is being said at our Masses here, "For the Diocese of Salina, as we celebrate our 125th Anniversary, may God bless our pastoral leaders and all the faithful". May that prayer be ours as we thank God for the gift of our local diocesan church. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pray for Us!!!

The Mercy of God

On Friday, there is a special emphasis on the cross and the forgiveness that we receive through Christ's death. Our Lord's Resurrection gives us the hope of eternal life. The Mass prayers for today were taken from "The Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ." A reminder of the precious blood that our Lord shed for us. I think the one commentary for today is so appropriate: "So wide is God's mercy that no sin is too great or too small for forgiveness. So much narrower is our charity that we often find the small annoyances the hardest to forgive. The more often we turn in prayer to the all-forgiving God, the more we will become like him in extending the hand of pardon to others in every daily circumstance" (Magnificat, 352). As God has shown us great mercy, so we need to show that mercy to others. May God grant us the grace to do just that in all things. Have a blessed day!!!

Saints Joachim and Anne

Today we celebrate the memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Saint John the Baptist Church in Hanover, KS, which is one of the parishes under my care, has a main high altar with statues and they are blessed to have a statue of Saint Anne. The Church holds up these holy men and women as an example of how to live our lives of faith, holiness, and prayer. We are reminded that we can do nothing without God so we just to place our trust in Him at all times. One of the commentaries puts our feast into a wonderful perspective: "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, 341). A beautiful thought for us and our families today and every day. Saints Joachim and Anne, Pray for Us!!!!!

Saint James

We go back to the early days of the Church in celebrating the Feast of Saint James. This James is the son of Zebedee and the brother of Saint John. They were fishermen by trade until that day at the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called them. That passage is the basis for the Entrance Antiphon: "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother mending their nets and he called them" (Mt 4:18, 21). We know that James and John left everything and followed the Lord. That takes great faith and trust. As present day disciples of the Lord we look to those who have gone before and how they followed Jesus and we strive to follow their example. May we have the courage, faith, and trust to follow the Lord at all times. As Jesus said elsewhere, if we wish to be his disciples we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. May we have the divine assistance to do just that. Saint James, Pray for Us!!!

Saint Sharbel Makhluf

Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhluf. One of the blessings of the new Roman Missal is that we get to celebrate some of the saints that we knew about but did not have set prayers for. In fact, we can say that Saint Sharbel is a saint for our times, even though he lived two centuries ago. He was raised to the altars of sainthood in the last century. As the Ordo for our Liturgical Year states: "Saint Sharbel Makhluf was born in 1828 in a small mountain village. He became a monk of the Maronite Rite and was ordained a priest in 1859. Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he spent the last twenty-three years of his life as a hermit. Despite temptations to wealth and comfort, Sharbel taught the value of poverty, self-sacrifice, and prayer by the life he lived. He possessed the gift of performing miracles even during his lifetime. His tomb at the monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, Lebanon, is a place of pilgrimage. He was beatified during the Second Vatican Council in December of 1965 (footnote added). Saint Sharbel was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977 and he is known as the 'Hermit of Lebanon'"(163). Just think what it would be like to live as a hermit today. It would take great grace and discipline from God. However, it can be done because there are hermits that exist even today. To spend a life of poverty, self-sacrifice, and prayer. We can do that in our lives no matter how busy we are. We need to detach from those material items that may hinder us in our relationship with God and others. We make sacrifices everyday in our respective vocations. We need to make the most of our prayer time. That is why Saint Sharbel Makhluf is a saint for our times because he has given us an example to follow, now we need to trust in his prayers and intercession for us and our journey of faith. Saint Sharbel Makhluf, Pray for Us!!!

Being A Shepherd

The key word from this past weekend was "Shepherd"! The Twenty- third Psalm was the response, which gives all of us hope, "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want". In the gospel, Jesus invited the disciples to come away and get some rest after the work they had accomplished. However, when they got to the place, a crowd of people were waiting for them. When Jesus saw the crowd he was moved with pity for they were like sheep without a shepherd. We are called to follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, everyday. He invites us, as his disciples, to pick up our cross and follow him. There are those who have been called to be "Shepherds among us"! It is a very important calling. I thank God everyday for calling me to be a priest, but I realize I do not do it alone. I need God's grace to help me in all aspects of life and ministry. I also need the prayers and support of the people of God. As I told the people over the weekend, "Please pray for me"! I also asked them for their forgiveness because I know I am a sinner. That I have shortcomings, failures, and limitations! To have a heart of unconditional love and forgiveness is truly appreciated. I also asked for patience and understanding. Being a shepherd has challenges, but many blessings! Let us pray that God bless the shepherds among us and may we always be open to the voice of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and calls them by name! God Bless Our Journey!!!

Saint Apollinaris

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr. "Early accounts report that Saint Apollinaris was ordained bishop by Saint Peter himself and sent as a missionary bishop to Ravenna during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. Renowned for his powers to heal in the name of Christ, he was frequently exiled, tortured, and imprisoned for the faith, and finally martyred" (Magnificat, 275). I found it interesting that Saint Apollinaris was ordained by our first pope, Saint Peter. That is a great account and it does go back to the early beginnings of the Church. Saint Apollinaris was not afraid to stand up for the gospel and the faith. He was not afraid to give of his very life. We may not experience martyrdom in our lives but we do give of ourselves and we are being asked in our present time to stand up for the faith, to stand up for our Religious Liberty and Freedom. We have the divine assistance to help us at all times. The Entrance Antiphon puts it all into perspective: "This holy man fought to the death for the law of his God and did not fear the words of the godless, for he was built on solide rock" (275). Pray that our lives, our faith will be built on that solid rock of Jesus Christ. Saint Apollinaris, Pray for Us!!!

Healing Ministry

Yesterday, the Church celebrated the memorial of Saint Camillus de Lillis. After his military service and conversion, he devoted his life to the care of the sick. He founded a religious order that established hospitals and cared for the sick. Saint Camillus continued a healing ministry that goes back to Jesus Christ. Our Lord made himself present for those who were sick and he performed many miracles and healings. In the gospel for today, Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus gives us a wonderful invitation. Our Lord says, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.". Jesus invites us to come to him and he will give us the comfort, peace, healing, strength that we need in our journey of life and faith. The Lord is always there and always calling us by name. Let us listen to the voice of the Lord in our lives. May we make the presence of Christ known to our brothers and sisters through the Church's healing ministry. God Bless You!!!

Firmness of Faith!!!

"Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm" (Is. 7:9). This is how the first reading from Mass concludes. The conclusion is a challenge for all of us. We need to be firm, steadfast in our faith. One of the suggestions for Mass this day was to use the prayers "For the Church, 1D." I can see why because in the Collect it spoke of the Church being steadfast in faith. We are the Church, the Body of Christ, and we need to be steadfast in our faith because of the ups and downs that we encounter in life. There is a beautiful meditation from the "Living Faith" devotional that speaks about this steady faith. According to the commentator, Steve Givens, the key to our steady faith is a life of prayer. Like any relationship, communication is key when it comes to living with, growing close, or being around someone. The same is true with our prayer life. If we are going to grow in our relationship with God, we need to communicate. "When we pray, we let go of ego and will and place ourselves in the presence of the divine so that communication can occur between our human spirit and God's Holy Spirit. Prayer helps us know that God is, indeed, close by, alive, moving and working in our lives" (Givens, "Living Faith," July 17). Prayer is key when it comes to our relationship with God and being firm in our faith. That passage from Isaiah is a good one to bring to prayer. May we allow God to work in our lives in a special way as we grow and remain steadfast and firm in faith. God Bless You on Your Journey!!!

Our Lady' s Feast

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. "This feast was instituted in the fourteenth century by the Carmelite Order. It commemorates the anniversary of the day in 1251 when the Blessed Mother gave the brown scapular to Saint Simon Stock. 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" (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy 205) and (Magnificat, 231-32). We thank God for the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her motherly love, protection, and care. May we wear our scapulars with love and devotion and know that our Blessed Mother will protect us and defend us at all times. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us! Saint Simon Stock, pray for us!!!

Saint Henry

The Ordo for today's memorial reads: "Henry II, + 1024; together with his wife, St. Cunegunda, he assisted the poor; as emperor, he respected the Church's freedom, fostering ecclesiastical and monastic reform; founded the See of Bramberg as a center for missions to the Slavs; patron of Benedictine oblates" (157). Being the patron of Benedictine oblates is what caught my attention. Of course, the Church just celebrated the memorial of Saint Benedict the other day, so what a great way to continue the Benedictine theme. As I have mentioned before, I received my priestly training from Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana. I have a great love and respect for the Benedictine monks and am thankful for the formation that I received. It was only right when I was thinking about becoming a Benedictine oblate that I would join through Saint Meinrad Archabbey. I began my novitiate to be an oblate in 2005. I spent some extra time praying and studying the Rule of Benedict, as well as the other writings that were sent to me during that time. Then, around this time five years ago, in 2007, I made my final profession as a Benedictine oblate. To begin my novitiate and to make final profession, I had the opportunity to be at Saint Meinrad both times and go through the ceremony in the Archabbey Church. I am truly grateful for my Benedictine formation and for the Benedictine spirituality that I have grown to love and live every day. In a special way, I ask Saint Henry to intercede for me and for all Benedictine oblates around the world, that we may truly live our calling and make Christ known to all we meet. Saint Henry, Pray for Us!!!

Love of God!!!

The love of God is unconditional!!! As someone told me once, "The love that we have for each other is a glimpse of the love that God has for us." We can say the love that we have for others is powerful but think of God's love for us. The first reading for today is a beautiful example of God's love, Hosea 11:1-4, 8e-9. Even though the Lord kept calling to His people, they kept moving further away from Him. However, the Lord does not give up, He keeps calling us back and hopefully we respond in time. One commentator even referred to God as a loving parent. Our parents are/were loving people and even when we disobeyed, they did not abandon us. They disciplined us and showed us the love that only a parent can. We are all children of God and His love, patience, mercy, compassion for us is eternal. As this one commentary says, "God loves each one of us as a unique creation, and has endowed each of us with special gifts and talents. We are to respond to this love by offering our gifts to the world. Our mission is to imitate the ways of Christ in all matters. In doing so, we can discover the uniqueness of our gifts and the ways in which we can share them to the glory of God" (Commentary and General Intercessions, 297). Pray that we may be open always to the love of God and share that beautiful gift with one another! Have a blessed day!!!

Saint Benedict

I don't know if I have mentioned this before on the blog but Saint Benedict is one of my favorite saints. I came to know Saint Benedict through my seminary formation at Saint Meinrad in Indiana, which is under the guidance of the Benedictine monks. The three things that come to mind when I think about Saint Benedict are: Hospitality, Seeing Christ in our brothers and sisters, and Keep death before you daily. Saint Benedict is a wonderful example for us as we strive to live faithful, holy, and prayerful lives. The entrance antiphon for Mass said it well: "There was a man of venerable life, Benedict, blessed by grace and by name, who, leaving home and patrimony and desiring to please God alone, sought out the habit of holy living" (Magnificat, 144). We remember in a special way today all the Benedictine men and women who follow the Rule of Benedict and the charism of his sister, Saint Scholastica. May God Bless their prayer and work! May we strive to live that Universal call to holiness each day! Saint Benedict, Pray for Us!!!

Prayers for Vocations!!!

One of the suggested formularies for Mass this morning came from the "Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions." The prayers are titled, "For Vocations to Holy Orders." I even used the second Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs. The Third Edition of the Roman Missal has a treasure of prayers and they are very beautiful. They truly express the needs that we bring before God. One of those needs is vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Praying for vocations is nothing new. In fact, we hear Jesus today tell his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send our laborers for his harvest" (Matthew 9:38). This call for prayer continues in our present day. We thank God for those who have answered the call: those serving in various ministries in the Church and those in formation for ministry. Our prayers are that more men and women will listen to the voice of God in their lives and answer that call. We know that God answers our prayers and that His timing is perfect. Let us heed the voice of our Lord and keep asking the Master to send laborers into the harvest. PRAY FOR VOCATIONS!!!

Who Is Jesus?

That is a question that we all need to answer as we spend time in reflection and prayer. This question comes from two sources. The first is the gospel that we listened to this weekend, Mark 6:1-6. Jesus has gone back to his hometown and he was not well received. In fact, the people kept asking questions as they listened to Jesus speak. How did he get all of this? Is he not the carpenter's son? Aren't his brothers and sisters known to us? Yes, many questions, but no answers. At the conclusion of the gospel, Jesus was not able to perform too many miracles there and he was amazed at their lack of faith. The second source was the commentary from the Priest Magazine. The question from that source simply asked, "For us, Who is Jesus"? That is a question that we need to ask ourselves as we journey through life and faith. Along that same line, the only ones who can answer that question is, us! May God Bless our journey and Bless the relationship that we have with His Son, Jesus Christ!!!

Model for the Young

The Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Maria Goretti, a Virgin and Martyr. As I was preparing for Mass this morning, I happened to look at the Ordo, the book that guides the liturgical year of the Church, and saw that Saint Maria was martyred in 1902, 110 years ago. Saint Maria was born into a poor and had a hard childhood. It is said that she was a pious girl and devoted to prayer. Rather than yielding to an aggressor, she defended her chastity and was stabbed to death. We know that chastity is a virture and a gift from God. We talk about chastity to our young people, letting them know that relations are meant for the marriage bond. Being chaste allows a husband and wife to truly give themselves to each other. All of us are called to live holy and chaste lives. These are gifts from God and He gives us the grace that we need to live them each day. By being people of prayer, we can learn to keep those communication lines with God open each day. We can grow in our conversation with God so when times of temptation arise, He can help us overcome what is going on at that time and avoid falling into sin. The pious and prayerful nature of Saint Maria Goretti is an example for all of us. We pray for our young people that they may be open to God's will in their lives. May we all listen to the voice of God, following His will, and following where He will lead us. Saint Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!!!

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal

The Dioceses of the United States have the opportunity of celebrating the memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal today. Before, the feast day of Saint Elizabeth fell on July 4, which of course is Independence Day. "Elizabeth was born of the royal family of Aragon in 1271. As a girl she was given in marriage to the king of Portugal and bore him two children. She overcame trials and tribulations through prayer and charitable work. After her husband's death she distributed her goods to the poor and took the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis. She died in 1336 while trying to make peace between her son and son-in-law" (Loose-Leaf Lectionary, 2473). As I told the people at Mass this morning at St. Augustine in Washington, Saint Elizabeth would be a good example of Prayer and Action, since our communities just hosted this wonderful ministry of the Youth Office of the Diocese of Salina. Like her biography stated, she overcame her trials and tribulations through prayer and charitable works. Prayer is a very beautiful gift that we need to use each day and probably many times a day. Our prayer leads us into action, to do charitable works, and to live the corporal works of mercy. Prayer and Works go hand-in-hand and we can learn a lot from the model that we have today. Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, pray for us!!!

Independence Day 2012

A Happy and Blessed Independence Day to everyone. I pray that it will be a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July for you as you spend this day with family and friends. As we celebrate this Independence Day we realize that there is a lot of work that needs to be done in our country. Like I mentioned before, I had the opportunity to attend the Rally for Religious Freedom at the State Capitol in Topeka last Friday. It was a great event and a sign that our voices need to be heard as our Religious Liberty is under attack. What we celebrate today and everyday are gifts from God and those cannot be taken away from us. As one commentary states: "According to the Gospel, freedom is not achievement but gift. Freedom is not license but radical obedience to God's liberating law of love. Let us give thanks for the gifts of freedom we have received and, trusting in God as did our nation's founders, let us seek to share them as gifts with all who are still enslaved by political oppression, social or economic injustice, or personal sin" (Magnificat, 70). Thank God for the gifts that we have received and let us do our part to stand up in defense of those gifts because they cannot be taken away. May God Bless our work!!! Have a blessed day!!!

Proclaiming the Faith

The Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Not much is known about his life but what we do know centers around faith. Thomas is known as the "Doubter." We hear that in the Gospel for the day, John 20:24-29. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples but Thomas was not with them. When Thomas did return the Apostles told him about their encounter with the risen Lord, but he would not believe it. As Thomas said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Of course, when Jesus appeared the second time, he called Thomas forward. Upon putting his finger into the nailmarks and his hand into the Lord's side Thomas said, "My Lord and my God." A beautiful confession of faith and there is a meaning for all of us as Jesus says, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Even in our own lives, we have questions and doubts, but we have that divine assistance to help us at all times. Let us not persist in our doubts or our unbelieving because the Lord is truly risen and his presence is with us at all times. Saint Thomas the Apostle, Pray for Us!!!

Standing Up!!!

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to travel to Topeka for the Rally for Religious Freedom. The Rally was initiated by the four Catholic Bishops in the State of Kansas! A big thank you to the bishops and the Kansas Catholic Conference for standing up for Religious Freedom. There was a wonderful crowd. Several people even commented that it was the largest rally they have ever seen at the State Capitol. The Rally was even televised live by EWTN. Hopefully people had the opportunity to see how important Religious Freedom is in the State of Kansas and in the United States in general. We have begun the week of our nations independence on July 4. The Fortnight of Freedom will conclude on that day but for us it is the beginning of continuing to get the message out. We cannot give up or lose hope. As Jesus told the synagogue official in the gospel from Sunday, "Do not be afraid, just have faith". That is our call as well as we stand up for our Religious Freedom because it is a gift from God and cannot be taken away from us. Let us keep the prayers for Religious Freedom going and let our voices be heard for we will continue to stand up and rally for the gifts that God has given to us. God Bless You!!!