Favorite Saint!

I would say that I have a few favorite saints but there is one that stands out above the others. Who is that saint? It is the person that the Church remembers on July 11, Saint Benedict. I owe a lot to the Benedictine Monks who follow the Rule that Saint Benedict left for them to live. My first encounter with the Benedictine monks was as a junior in high school. That high school, Maur Hill, was operated by the monks in Atchison, Kansas from Saint Benedict's Abbey. Then, a couple of years later, my vocation as a priest was nurtured and strengthened by the monks at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana. I love the Benedictine spirituality, so much so that I became a Benedictine Oblate associated with the Archabbey at Saint Meinrad. The Benedictine life of prayer and work, "ora et labora" is a wonderful motto to follow. Being an oblate means that I can live that charism here in the world and the very communities that I serve as a diocesan priest. A wonderful example of the Benedictine life is hospitality. Welcoming our brothers and sisters as Christ and seeing the face of Christ in them. My prayers this day and everyday are with the Benedictines who live the Rule that their founder, Benedict, left for them to follow. May their example touch our lives and may Saint Benedict intercede for us as we live faithful, prayerful, and holy lives. Have a blessed day!!!

On a personal note: I will be returning to one of the doctors on Tuesday who treated me while I was in the hospital for the blackout incident on the bike. Also, another medical episode arose over the weekend and I am being treated by the local doctor. As someone told me, "If its not one thing, its another!" Keep me in your prayers and know that you are in mine! God Bless You!!!

No Rose Garden!

That is a famous line that many of us have probably heard over the years, "No one ever promised us a rose garden." With all things in life there are some roses but there are also thorns. One commentator acknowledges that in light of our gospel for today, Matthew 10:16-23. This gospel is a continuation of what we have been listening to the last couple of days. Jesus chose his 12 apostles, then he gave them a job description, and finally he tells them, "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." Our Lord tells them what to be aware of and that people will hand other people over and sometimes put them to death. Jesus is preparing the disciples for what they will encounter when they go out to proclaim the Good News and live those works of mercy. However, Jesus assures them and us that he is there until the end of the age. That promise should provide us with peace and comfort, but also boost our hope and confidence. Our Lord did not promise us a rose garden. There will be trials and tribulations. One thing he did promise and he will not go back on it, he is with us always. Let us rejoice in that promise as we live our lives and our faith to the fullest. God Bless You!!!

Job Description!

How many of us have a job description to follow? Most employers and employees have a job description that they need to follow in order to do their work in a timely and orderly manner. The church is no different. Many of our workers and volunteers have a job description so they know what to do. In our gospel for today, Matthew 10:7-15, we have the first ever job description. As one commentator noted, Jesus first chose the 12 apostles and then he told them what to do: "Proclaim the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons." Of course, there is no training manual, no classes to take, they just had to get out and do it. That reminds me when I was in the seminary and newly ordained priests would come back and visit and we would ask them what it was like in the parishes. They would always say that they went to the seminary administration and said to them, "You gave us the book knowledge, but how come you did not teach us this...?" The response always was, "There are some things that we can't teach you." That is true, there are things that we have to learn on our own and many times we have to learn from our mistakes. One thing is certain Jesus is always present. He may not have told us how to do things but he did promise that he would remain with us until the end of the age. That is why we put our faith and trust in God because He gives us the grace and strength that we need to accomplish the tasks before us and that includes the mission of the church. Have a blessed day!!!

We Are Called!

Each one of us is called to be a disciple of Jesus! Our Lord gives us this invitation in the gospels when he tells us that if we wish to be his disciple we must pick up our cross and follow him. Here are some other calls that come to mind and we have heard them this week. The first, Matthew 9:32-38, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so as the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." That is a great call for vocations. We are to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life. One commentator even spoke about lay people and their call to be involved in the church. If God is calling you to the diaconate, priesthood, religious life, or maybe a particular ministry in the church, it would be good to listen and pray about it. Let God touch your lives in a special way. The second call is, Matthew 10:1-7, Jesus calling the twelve disciples. He sent them out to find the lost sheep and to proclaim that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Times and situations have changed over the centuries but the call to follow the Lord is still the same. Our challenge is to listen to that call in our lives. As one priest said one time, "We do not have a shortage of vocations, we have a shortage of listeners." God is always calling us to live holy, faithful, dedicated, and prayerful lives. Let us be open to that call and follow the Lord each day of our lives! God Bless You!!!

Independence Day!

As the 4th of July is celebrated we think of all the gatherings that will be taking place, family and friends coming together. The food that will be consumed and the brightness of the fireworks that will light up the dark sky. It is a day to let our patriotism shine forth and to be thankful for all the gifts that God has given to us and our country. Looking through the Magnificat magazine, I found another great word that we can think about on this day because it goes along with independence and that is "Freedom." As we read in
I Peter 2:16- "Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God." The commentator goes on to write: "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, 75). I remember a priest telling me as a young associate pastor when I felt that I needed to stay and work because of obligation and duty, "Be Free!" Yes, we must do our work, but not let it consume us. We need to take time for ourselves because that is also a gift from God. Freedom is a great gift. We have received all of our gifts from God and we need to be thankful. In the midst of all the social things going on this day, let us not forget why we are here and let us always be thankful. It is God's great love and mercy that makes all things possible! Have a blessed day!!!

Peaceful Invitation!

I have been a priest for 14 years and have administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to many people. However, I had never received the sacrament before until I had my accident a couple weeks ago. It was truly a prayerful experience and gave me an idea of how people must feel when they receive the sacrament. Whenever I administer the sacrament I always refer to the gospel that we will listen to this weekend, Matthew 11:25-30. The passage that really catches my attention is this beautiful and peaceful invitation from our Lord: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." We know that we all have a share in the cross of Christ. We also know that suffering is a part of life and how we deal with it is important. I have had to learn that over the last few weeks because it has probably been 30 years or more since I have spent a considerable amount of time as a patient in the hospital. I need to grow in faith, trust, and above all, patience. As I listen to this invitation of our Lord, I pray that my patience will be strengthened and that I may always feel the loving and healing presence of God. May you find peace as you listen to this invitation! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Heart Imitation!

Today and tomorrow we celebrate two great feasts: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These hearts are full of love and they provide us with a beautiful and loving example. How many of us have seen statues or pictures of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart. Their hearts are always exposed and those hearts call out to us to live our life and our faith to the fullest and to share the love of God with our brothers and sisters. As one commentary states about these two feasts being back to back, "This reflects the unity of their love for us. Devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart helps us live more faithfully as disciples of her Son, Jesus Christ" (Commentary and General Intercessions, 264). Let us pray that our hearts will be strengthened and renewed as we put our faith and trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother. These are truly two great feasts to imitate! Blessings to you!!!