The Right Direction!!!!

The prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah.  John the Baptist was the herald, the forerunner of the Messiah.  When Jesus appeared, John the Baptist proclaimed, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."  What the prophets and John the Baptist did is what we are called to do in our lives, point people in the right direction, and the right direction is JESUS Christ.  Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  Even St. Peter said, "You have the words of everlasting life!"  I can write about it or talk about it, but what gets people's attention is when I live.  We need to practice what we preach.  Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is a tremendous example for us.  He not only has the words for us, but he has the actions to back it up.  In thought, word, and deed, we need to focus on the right direction and that is life in Jesus Christ!!!!!!!  God Bless our journey!!!!

Living our Baptism Everyday

As we celebrate the Baptism of The Lord and bring our CHRISTMAS Time to a close, it is a good reminder to live our baptismal call every day of our lives!  There is great responsibility when it comes to baptism for parents, godparents, and the body of Christ.  Those who are baptized in our respective parishes will look to us as an example of how we live our lives and our faith.  The words used in the Rite of Baptism are more than words, they are a way of life.  Parents  and godparents need to take this responsibility to heart.  When the priest or Deacon asks the parents "If they clearly understand what they are undertaking," they need to take that to heart.  You need to get your child to church, pray with them everyday, teach them about the faith.  Parents are the primary educators of their children.  The church, schools, religious education programs are there to help, but they should not be the sole provider.  The parents need to live their own baptismal call and guide their child in the ways of faith.  Pope Francis recently encouraged the faithful to find out their baptismal date and celebrate it because that began our journey in the faith and it never ends.  We keep living our faith to the fullest and God will know when that journey ends.  May this renew us to live our baptismal call to the fullest and be an example to one another!!!!

New Beginnings

Many programs have been looking back to the year that we are about to conclude.  We look at what has happened, the good and the bad.  Each situation shows why we need our faith and our trust in God.  Let us thank God for the gifts and blessings that we have received.  Now we move to a new year, 2014!  What will happen in this year?  What lies ahead?  Many questions, but no answers.  One thing is certain, God is there every step of the way and we need to do our part to move out of the way and let God work in our lives!  We like to be in control or we think that we don't need God until something happens!  My friends, it would be worth our while to get out of that mind set right here and right now, because everything is in the palm of God's hand and it goes according to His time.  I need God every second, minute, hour of every day and I would presume, you do too, but many are lax to recognize it.  Our lives and our reactions would be a lot different if we looked at life from this perspective, God is in control and we need Him!!!!  I ask our loving and merciful God to bless you as we begin this new year.  Mary, the Holy Mother of God, pray for us!!!!

CHRISTMAS Time

We have arrived at CHRISTMAS week!!!!!  I want to wish everyone a Blessed and Joyous CHRISTMAS!!!  When I think of this time being joyful, I think of the word JOY!!!  It is more than just a word, it is a way of life.  A friend told me some time ago this is what JOY stands for J=Jesus, O=Others, Y=You!!!!!!!  Perhaps is we put Jesus first in our lives, along with others, than we can be a well rounded you!!!  I pray that the newborn King will bless you and yours during this CHRISTMAS Time!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Blessed Virgin Mary

This week, we celebrate our Blessed Mother in two feasts.  December 9 is the transferred Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  Since the Second SUNDAY of Advent fell on December 8, the SUNDAY took precedence, so the feast was moved to today.  With the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate Mary being conceived without original sin in the womb of her mother, St. Anne.  Mary was kept free from sin so that she would be a worthy dwelling for God's only Son.  The Gospel from Luke on this day is the Annunciation and Mary's "Yes" to the will of God.  Her example is one that we can follow in our lives because we are called to say "Yes" and follow God's will in our own lives.  On Thursday, December 12, the Church will celebrate the memorial do Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Mary is the mother and patroness of the Americas.  Truly a great week to rejoice and give thanks to God as we continue our journey to the CHRISTMAS Season.  Mary is a great model and example for us.  May she intercede for us as we live our lives and faith each day!!!

Prepare the Way!!!!

Saint John the Baptist appears in the desert proclaiming a message of repentance and telling his hearers to prepare the way of The Lord!!!  That is what this Advent Time is about.  Of course, everyday for that matter.  We need to be prepared for the coming of The Lord.  We need to make sure our house is in order so that when The Lord returns he will find us watching and waiting.  There are a lot of distractions in the world today.  Many voices calling out to us to seek the goods of this world.  Ah, but there is only one voice we need to listen to and that is the voice of The Lord.  Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.  He has the words of everlasting life.  Another important point that we need to remember is that in preparing for The Lord, it is not just his return, but also the hour of our death.  Those are two unknowns, so let us make sure we are ready for both.  The message from John the Baptist and Jesus is still the same.  Are we listening?

Advent Begins!!!!

This is a new beginning for us as we begin the Advent Season!!!!  What can we do to make this a meaningful time for each of us?  I think the readings for this First SUNDAY of Advent set the tone.  We need to be alert, prepared, and ready.  Jesus is coming again, not as an infant which we celebrate at CHRISTMAS time, but in all his glory.  There are two unknowns that we need to prepare for- the return of our Lord or the hour of our death.  The Lord did not tell us when or how this will happen, but we need to be ready and that means to live our lives accordingly.  Let this Advent Season be a time of renewal.  Take the time to examine your lives and your conscience and when the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered, get there to be reconciled with God and the body of Christ.  God and the Church gives us the graces and sacraments that we need so do not take them for granted.  Being prepared and ready is the key message for all of us because we do not know so tell your family and friends how much you love them, care about them, and how important they are to you.  Do not let this time be one of regret but one of hope and renewal.  May God bless us as we begin this Advent journey!!!

Thanksgiving Blessings!!!!!

I want to wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!!!!  May this time remind us to always be thankful for the gifts and blessings that God gives to us!!!!  Thanksgiving is more than one day a year, it is everyday!!!!  Many of us are taken aback because of how consumerism and materialism has taken hold of our society and many people who fall into the trap.  That stores are opening up on Thanksgiving Day is a tragedy.  Individuals should be able to enjoy these holidays with family and friends.  Unfortunately the power of money takes hold and everyone has to make it and spend it.  Some day, all of that will not make any difference.  Like a friend told me years ago, "In a 100 years will it really matter?"  No it will not because we cannot take anything with us.  We came into the world with nothing and we will live the world with nothing.  We send a very disturbing message, especially to our young people when we focus on the things of this world and not of God.  Let us realize that everything we have is a gift from God and some day we will stand before Him and be held accountable for our very lives.  We all have choices and options.  Let them be the right ones because how we live our lives and the decisions we make have eternal consequences.  May God bless you during this Thanksgiving time and let us make every second, minute, hour of everyday be a time to give thanks!!!

Where Am I Going?

That is a question that probably has numerous answers.  We are always on the move because our lives have become busy, but this question has an eternal answer.  Where are we going to spend eternity?  We have two options, Heaven or Hell.  As Catholics, we believe in Purgatory because who of us is worthy to go directly to Heaven?  The saints are there but for many we will need to be purified of the sins that were on our soul at the time of death.  The time to be answering that question is now, not later, because there are no guarantees.  Thank God for the gift of faith because we believe in the Resurrection.  Jesus is the firstborn of the dead.  He has broken the bonds of sin and death by his own death and resurrection.  As a priest said years ago, "Do you know why the Saducees were sad u see? Because they did not believe in the resurrection"!  We believe and we profess that faith each week in the Nicene Creed.  However, do we truly believe?  Our lives, our actions, our decisions, our choices, our options all have eternal consequences.  So do you, do I, know where we are going?  

A Lifelong Process

Conversion is a lifelong process!!!!  We always need that conversion of mind and heart so that we can live happy, holy, faithful, prayerful, dedicated lives.  Over the weekend, Zacchaeus was a great example of conversion.  His intention was just to see Jesus, but because he was short in stature he climbed a sycamore tree and when Jesus arrived at the spot, instead of passing by, he called Zacchaeus down and stayed at his house.  Zacchaeus' life was changed and in the gospel he told our Lord what he would to make amends.  We know that Jesus is all loving and merciful and that is the look that he gives to us.  As we live the call to conversion, we are also called to live and share the gift of God's love.  Last week, at the closing Mass of our evangelization workshop, Bishop John Brungardt of the Diocese of Dodge City gave us a homework assignment.  He told us, "Go forth and tell someone, Jesus loves you more than you can ask or imagine."  That has been his trademark saying and he is inviting us to go forth and announce the same.  I say that to you as you live your lives, your faith, and your continuing call to conversion: "Jesus loves you more than you can ask or imagine."

New Evangelization

This is a term we are becoming familiar with in our present day!  Even though evangelization has been around since the early days of the Church it is becoming new!  The reason that it is new is because we need to evangelize our own, the brothers and sisters who have fallen away from the practice of the faith!  As I write this blog, the priests of the Salina Diocese and Dodge City Diocese are meeting in Great Bend, Kansas to talk about the new evangelization and how we can reach out to our brothers and sisters!  There is a lot of work to do and we need to begin now!  Let us pray for one another that our efforts and ministry will bear much fruit!!!!

World Priesthood SUNDAY!!

The Sacraments of service are: Marriage and Holy Orders!  Both go hand in hand because through these vocations we are sharing the love of God with others!  The involvement I had with Marriage Encounter showed me how close knit these vocations are.  It was the Worldwide Marriage Encounter organization that initiated World Priesthood SUNDAY as a way to show love and support to priests worldwide.  Yesterday, I celebrated my anniversary of being ordained a Deacon and now as a priest I celebrate the vocation that God has called me to live.  Prayer was a key word in the readings for this weekend.  I ask you to pray for me and my ministry because I trust in the power of prayer and the grace of God to help me in all things!  Please know that you are in my prayers!!!!  Please pray for our priests and may God bless them and their ministry!!!!

Being of Service!

The time of pilgrimage and vacation has come to a close and ministry begins in full force!  We got back several days ago but the ministry started right away with two funerals back to back.  Now the weekend is here and time to reflect on this past week and what comes to mind is service.  Today is a special day for me, October 26, because it was 17 years ago today that I was ordained a transitional Deacon.  That means the diaconate was only temporary because I was on my way to be ordained a priest!  Being a Deacon reminds us of the call to service and of course, we are all called to serve, no matter what vocation God calls us to.  One of the things that I love to do is at funeral dinners and that is going around with tea, water, or coffee and offering refills to those who are eating.  It gives me a chance to interact with the people who were present and just provide that ministry of presence and service.  Usually people will tell me that I should be eating, but I say no, I love to serve and the servant waits until the end so that others can partake.  Sometimes it is those small things that people remember and it can touch lives and hearts.  I thank God for the gift of ordination and for the gift of service.  May God bless us as we continue to bring His love to our parishes and communities!!!

Where It All Began!!!!!

Our journey today took us to the grounds of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)!  We arrived in time for the noon Mass in the chapel that we see on television everyday.  However, we were not on the televised Mass.  That Mass is offered at 7:00am, and then replayed throughout the day.  This is the setting that Mother Angelica came to in 1962. The network started in 1981!  As a speaker said the other day at the Shrine, "With the hustle and bustle of the network, it was getting quite busy around the monastery, so Mother set out to find a place where the nuns could focus on God, prayer, and work."  That is how the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery came to be built out of Hanceville.  It was an awesome experience to visit these sites and to see how it all began.  We pray for the ministry of EWTN and those involved in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  Even though the second part of our journey has changed focus (mom and I are going to the NASCAR race at Talladega), we will not forget the initial purpose of why we came to Alabama.  If you ever have the chance to visit the Shrine in Hanceville or the EWTN grounds in Irondale, I would highly recommend it.  God Bless You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayerful Day!!!!

Everyday at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament has been a prayerful day!  Mom and I had nothing planned for today!  It was a day of rest before we move on to the next place for our vacation!  I decided to take a long walk back to the shrine grounds!  It was a prayerful walk as I said a Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet!  I saw some of the statues that I had not been up close to since we arrived!  I also walked the Twelve Eucharistic Stations!!!  These stations follow a path that is designed from the monstrance that the nuns wear around their neck in conjunction with their habit!  These stations follow the Eucharist from the Old Testament to the New Testament!  A very prayerful walk to be thankful for the gift of the Eucharist!  I am thankful for the days that we had here at the shrine and for the graces that we have received!!!  

The Dream Pilgrimage!

After our first day on the grounds of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the comment was made, "It seems like a dream"!  We have seen this beautiful shrine on television and now to be here in person!  Today we had another beautiful moment and that was attending the Conventual Mass with the Poor Clare Nuns!  Just like television, the Mass was very prayerful, the music was very good, and there was a lot of Latin!  The presider has his back to the people and for communion we go up and kneel at the communion rail!  It truly is an awe inspiring experience!!!!  We went to the Lourdes Grotto on the grounds as well!  We also went to the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Bernard to see the Ave Maria Grotto!  This grotto was built by a Benedictine brother for a number of years!  There are stone miniatures of Jerusalem and St Peter's Basilica and so much more!  It is an amazing area to see!  It may see like a dream, but it is a blessing to be here!!!

Pilgrimage- Day One

Thank you readers for your comments and likes as my mom and I make this pilgrimage!!!!  After two days of driving we took a breather in the morning but made it over for noon Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament!!!  When I knelt down in prayer, it felt like a weight was on my legs because I was in awe in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord and did not want to move from the kneeling position!  The Mass was very peaceful and reverent!  The Mass was in the lower Church of the Shrine and afterwards we went upstairs to see the beautiful upper Church!!!!  We listened to a pilgrimage talk on how everything began, from Mother Angelica coming to Alabama in 1962 to the dedication of the shrine in 1999!  A wonderful start and we look forward to more sites and memories tomorrow!!!  God Bless

Being A Pilgrim

Vacation time has arrived, but it is also a pilgrimage!  My mom and I set out yesterday to journey to the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Hanceville, Alabama!  This is the shrine that Mother Angelica, from EWTN built some years ago!  This is a destination that we have talked about many times and we decided to do it!  It was a beautiful but long drive yesterday (Sunday) and today (Monday)!  We will regroup and make the most of our time in this beautiful setting!  When Jesus talks about getting away for some prayer and rest this just might be one of the places to come!  Definitely away from the hustle and bustle of daily life!  Please be assured of my prayers and look for other posts as we continue our journey as pilgrims!!!  God Bless You!!!!!

"Angels Among Us"

Even though the feast of the Archangels- Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and the Guardian Angels has passed, we can still be assured of the divine assistance that God gives to us each day!  The song "Angels Among Us" is a beautiful piece and a reminder that angels come when we least expect them.  We think of the angels who see the face of God but sometimes there are people who come into our lives and they become angels.  As Saint Basil the Great taught, "Each and every member of the faithful has a Guardian Angel to protect, guard, and guide them through life" (Magnificat, 46).  God always takes care of us and we need to be thankful for everything that God does for us because all that we have are His gifts to us.  Thank you God for the angels among us.  May we always trust in their unconditional presence!!!

Blessed News!

We arose this morning to the joyful news that Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII will be canonized as saints on April 27, 2014!  Pope Francis made the announcement this morning in Rome.  We rejoice that two popes from the last century will be raised to the altars of sainthood.  April 27 is also a special day in the life of the Catholic Church because it will be Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday following Easter Sunday!!!  Blessed John XXIII was pope from 1958-1963!  He is the pope who inaugurated the Second Vatican Council and we are marking the 50th anniversary of the Council during this Year of Faith.  Blessed John Paul II was pope from 1978-2005 and many accomplishments were made during his pontificate.  We thank God for these two popes and their lives of service to the Church.  Now we look forward with great joy to their canonization in 2014!