Saint Ignatius of Loyola

On this final day of July, the Universal Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Saint Ignatius is known as the founder of the Society of Jesus, but we know them as the Jesuit Order. It is said that Saint Ignatius exercised a most fruitful apostolate by his written works and how he trained his disciples. Of course, the Jesuit Order is still going strong today. As part of the opening prayer states: "God gave Saint Ignatius to the Church to bring greater glory to His name." How powerful is the name of Jesus? The entrance antiphon to the Mass says it all and it is one of my favorite scripture passages: "At the name of Jesus every knee must bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; every tongue should proclaim to the glory of God the Father: Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. 2:10-11). This is a scripture passage that I think about every time I genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament. We are to show proper honor, reverence, and respect to the name and presence of Our Lord. Pray that Saint Ignatius will intercede for us and may we grow in love for Jesus because there is power in his name. Have a blessed day!

Saint Peter Chrysologus

Today we remember the memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus who was born about the year 380 in Imola, Emilia, and there entered the priesthood. He was elected bishop of Ravenna in 424 and instructed his flock by his learned sermons and writings. He died around the year 450 (Magnificat, 405). As part of the opening prayer states: "The Father made Peter Chrysologus an outstanding preacher of your incarnate Word. May the prayers of Saint Peter help us to cherish the mystery of our salvation and make its meaning clear in our love for others." We preach, not only with words, but with our very lives. The love and service that we show to others truly speaks volumes. May Saint Peter intercede for us and help us to always be effective preachers in our present day. God Bless!!!

Saint Martha

Our brief history states: "Saint Martha was a sister of Mary and Lazarus. When she received the Lord as a guest in Bethany, she looked after him with devoted attention. She begged the Lord to raise her brother, Lazarus, from the dead" (Magnificat, 391). Two gospel passages are offered for our consideration on this feast day. The first is John's Gospel (11:19-27), where Martha tells Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." The second is Luke's Gospel
(10:38-42), where Martha tells Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her. Obviously Martha was not afraid to tell the Lord what she was thinking. Jesus had a response for her each time. He told her that her brother would rise and asked for her confession of faith. Then, Our Lord told Martha that she was anxious and worried about many things and that Mary had chosen the better part. In each instance, Martha received a valuable lesson. We also receive a valuable lesson as we celebrate this feast today. As part of the opening prayer reads, "By her (St. Martha's) prayers may we serve Christ in our brothers and sisters and be welcomed by you into heaven, our true home." May Saint Martha intercede for us as we live the gift of faith and service to the fullest. Have a blessed day!

Blessing of People!

Have you ever had things come to your mind after the fact? We live busy lives and there is always something going on. Our minds are racing 100 miles a minute. After something happens we realize we should have made mention of it. That thought hit my mind on July 27 because that day would have been my grandmother's 109th birthday if she was still alive. Of course, the day before, the church celebrated the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of our Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. My grandmother was the only grandparent I ever knew. The other grandparents had passed away before I came along. There is always a time for us to thank God for the blessing of family and friends. People come into our lives at all different times, family and friends alike. These are the people who love us, care about us, and want the best for us in life. We realize that life is a continuous journey, but our ultimate goal is always in front of us, getting to Heaven. We help one another and support one another in that journey. As we think about the holy men and women that the church holds up for us and all the people that we encounter in our daily life, we cannot help but think that there is a reason why things happen and a reason why we are living at this particular time. God has a plan for each of us and each day we continue to write a chapter in salvation history. Family and friends are very important. Do not be afraid to thank them for their presence in your life and always thank God for those blessings He gives to us each day. Thank God for my family, my friends, and my parish families because we are all on this journey together. God Bless!!!

Power of Prayer!

This past weekend I told the story of when I was an associate pastor a number of years ago. I had gotten into the habit of bowing my head after I proclaimed the gospel and prayed that God will help me to preach and that the people would receive a good message. I tried to do this so people would not notice me. However, one young boy took notice and he asked me about it one Sunday as he was preparing to serve that Mass. I told him I bowed my head in prayer to preach a good homily. His response was, "How come God hasn't heard your prayer yet!" It was definitely a reality check but I did not give up. Instead, I persevered in prayer and kept being persistent. Prayer is a very powerful gift and it is one that we need to use each day of our lives. I have seen the power of prayer in peoples' lives and it is very moving. It is truly powerful when people say you were an answer to prayer. I take that very seriously and who am I to question God? We pray to keep those communication lines with God open. We know that God listens to our prayers and He answers them, maybe not as we would like, but always remember, God knows what is best for us. Take the time to pray each and everyday because it will do wonders in our lives and it is truly powerful! God Bless!!!

Saints Joachim and Anne

At one of my parishes, Saint John the Baptist, in Hanover, Kansas there is a high altar that depicts several saints. One of those saints is Saint Anne. Saint Anne might be a better known name than Saint Joachim, but these two saints are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the grandparents of Jesus Christ. It is their feast that we celebrate on the 26th day of July. According to the history, "From an ancient tradition, going back even to the second century, the parents of the Virgin Mary are known by the names of Joachim and Anne. Devotion to Saint Anne is found in the sixth century in the East, and by the tenth century it was widespread in the West. Saint Joachim was likewise honored, but at a more recent date" (Magnificat, 356). Something else to think about regarding Saints Joachim and Anne: from the Book of Sirach, "Remember, of these parents you were born; what can you give them for all they gave you" (7:28)? Then the commentary says: "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, 353-54). Saints Joachim and Anne are a great example for us in how to live as a family and may their intercession be with all families as we strive to live the gifts of faith, holiness, and love. God Bless!!!

R & R

Sorry for being away from the blog for a couple of days but had the opportunity to take a couple days to get away from the regular routine. Preparing for a bigger vacation later this summer. One thing to remember is no matter what you are doing or where you are going, never take a vacation from God. Make the time each day to keep that contact with God in prayer. We need prayer in our lives. We need to connect each day with the continuous conversation that is going on between the Father and the Son. If you are going to be gone over a weekend make Mass an important part of your time away. That is why when you plan a vacation make sure you know where the available churches are and what time Mass will be. Even though we might need the break from our usual routine, we never need time away from God. In fact, we need God everyday of our lives. Someone asked me what I do when I travel. If I travel alone I make sure I know where the nearest Catholic Church is and make sure I take the time to pray, especially the Liturgy of the Hours or the Rosary. What is nice when I travel with a friend, especially a priest, we take a Mass kit with us and always pray together. Whether individually or as a family, take the time for R & R, but never forget God because through Him we live, move, and have our being. God Bless!!!