Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

From Pope Benedict XVI's homily on January 1, 2008:

"The Apostle Paul refers to the mystery of the divine motherhood of Mary, the Theotokos, in his Letter to the Galatians.

"'When the time had fully come', he writes, 'God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law' (4:4).

"We find the mystery of the Incarnation of the Divine Word and the Divine Motherhood of Mary summed up in a few words: the Virgin's great privilege is precisely to be Mother of the Son who is God.

"The most logical and proper place for this Marian feast is therefore eight days after Christmas. Indeed, in the night of Bethlehem, when 'she gave birth to her first-born son' (Lk 2:7), the prophesies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled.

"'The virgin shall be with child and bear a son', Isaiah had foretold (7:14); 'Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son', the Angel Gabriel said to Mary (Lk 1:31); and again, an Angel of the Lord, the Evangelist Matthew recounts, appeared to Joseph in a dream to reassure him and said: 'Do not fear to take Mary for your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son' (Mt 1:20-21).

"The title 'Mother of God', together with the title 'Blessed Virgin', is the oldest on which all the other titles with which Our Lady was venerated are based, and it continues to be invoked from generation to generation in the East and in the West.

"A multitude of hymns and a wealth of prayers of the Christian tradition refer to the mystery of her divine motherhood, such as, for example, a Marian antiphon of the Christmas season, Alma Redemptoris mater, with which we pray in these words: 'Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem, Virgo prius ac posterius —You, in the wonder of all creation, have brought forth your Creator, Mother ever virgin'.

"Dear brothers and sisters, let us today contemplate Mary, ever-virgin Mother of the Only-Begotten Son of the Father; let us learn from her to welcome the Child who was born for us in Bethlehem. If we recognize in the Child born of her the Eternal Son of God and accept him as our one Saviour, we can be called and we really are children of God: sons in the Son.

"The Apostle writes: 'God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons' (Gal 4:4)."


Today we begin a new year by honoring the Mother of God, Mary. I pray that this year Our Blessed Mother will lead us ever closer to her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and continue to pray for and guide His Church.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Feast of the Holy Innocents

In these days after the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, there are many important feast days. We had the Feast of St. Stephen on the 26th, the Feast of the Holy Family this past Sunday, and of course have the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God to look forward to on January 1st. Today, December 28th, the Church observes the Feast of the Holy Innocents, those children who were slaughter at King Herod's command in an attempt to kill the newborn Christ.

St. Matthew tells the story (2:13-18):

"Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,'Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.' Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.
"When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
'A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.'"

A very beautiful song about this event is the Coventry Carol, sung from the perspective of a mother saying goodbye to her child. Below is a video with a nice rendition of it with the lyrics following.


Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All children young to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

I have often heard today's practice of abortion mentioned as a modern comparison to the massacre of the Holy Innocents. Innocent children are slaughtered legally everyday through abortions. Today I offer my prayers for all of those Holy Innocents who never had the chance to live and for an end to this terrible practice.

Christmas

I have not been on the blog in the past few days and probably will not be on again for a few days due to the holiday and a very busy schedule. I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a holy and blessed Christmas!

Sunday Inspiration - Fourth Sunday of Advent

On this last Sunday of Advent, as we we prepare for the coming of Our Lord, we hear of Mary, with child, visiting her relative Elizabeth, who is herself pregnant with John the Baptist.

As St. Luke tells us (1:39-45),

"Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

As St. Ambrose points out for us (from the Catena Aurea of St. Thomas Aquinas):

"Elizabeth was the first to hear her voice; but John was the first to be aware of the divine favour. She heard in the natural manner; he leaped for joy because of the Mystery. She sees Mary's coming; he the Coming of the Lord."

Speaking of Mystery, this song was recently posted on the New Liturgical Movement's site. It is so beautiful that I felt that I had to share it. Additionally, I believe it goes perfectly with today's Gospel. I pray that it inspires you to give praise to Our Lord and His Blessed Mother as it did for me.

O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum jacentem in praesepio.
O beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Jesum Christum. Alleluia!

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament,
that the animals should see the new-born Lord lying in a manger.
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia

Veni Veni Emmanuel

Today begins the O Antiphons during Vespers. Read about them here.

Sunday Inspiration - Gaudete Sunday

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the day during this time of Advent when we joyously look forward to what this whole season is leading to: Christ coming into the world. For this reason, the Priest and Deacon put on Rose colored vestments. As Pius Parsch tells us, "The Church modifies her colors; instead of violet she uses rose, a softened hue of violet and thus a compromise between the colors symbolizing penance and joy." In the Gospel reading we hear St. John the Baptist telling us that one mightier than himself is coming to baptize us with the Holy Spirit.

We also hear from St. Paul today; his words guiding us to joyful preparation for the coming of the Lord (Phil 4:4-7):

"Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

One thing that I believe is something to rejoice about is the Church that Christ created here on earth. With all of the negative things said about the Church, and sometimes done by members of the Church, it is easy for people to have a negative view of it. The tradition of the Church, however, is so rich, so beautiful, and so alive. We need not forget that; in fact, we need to celebrate that.

Over at the blog The Hermeneutic of Continuity, Fr. Tim Finigan recently posted the video I have below. It is a trailer for a film project known as The Catholic Project. Here is the description from their You Tube channel: "Join Fr. Robert Barron on a journey across the planet and deep into the faith. CATHOLICISM is a breakthrough documentary series presenting the true story of Christianity and the Catholic faith." This film is due to be released in 2010. The trailer for this project is truly inspiring.



I pray today that you will be inspired by and rejoice in all of the beauty and tradition that the Church offers us, from the scripture to the liturgy, from the sights to the sounds, by all that Our Lord has blessed us with.

December 12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. The story of the miraculous image shown above took place in 1531. In that year, near what is now Mexico City, St. Juan Diego was visited by the Blessed Mother who told him to build a church there to lead people closer to her Son. As proof of her visit with him, she left this image imprinted on his cloak.

Today the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe stands near Mexico City at the site of this event. You can see pictures of the church here.

At this time, as we are preparing for the coming of Our Lord, whom the Blessed Virgin Mary aided in bringing us, let us join together in asking for her intercession on our behalf:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.

Vestments

A few weeks ago on the Feast of Christ the King, the priest and deacon at my parish wore a wonderful set of gold vestments made in the 1930's. They were absolutely beautiful and in my opinion enhanced the liturgy by their beauty. This was on my mind recently when I read a few different posts on the New Liturgical Movement about vestments and liturgical colors for Advent. I thought I'd share these with you, as well as a couple of other blogs that focus on vestments. Before checking out these sites, though, I would like to suggest that you read this short comment made by Shawn Tribe of the NLM:

"At times, considerations such as these bring forth a certain subset of people who believe that it is objectionable to ponder these matters -- what they sometimes reduce to being mere "fashion" considerations. Here I would simply make note that vestments are another branch of the sacred arts and we should not be reductionistic and secularize our considerations of them. Their symbolism, their dignity and beauty are equally as pertinent to the matter of the sacred liturgy as the matter of sacred architecture, music, painting or sculpture; they too can be bearers of the sacred, lending to (or, indeed, taking away from) our liturgical worship. We should indeed give them thought then, considering what does and does not lend to the dignity and gravitas of the liturgical rites; the rites in which the Church offers her public worship to God, and where we give our public witness and expression to that divine worship."

With that said, the New Liturgical Movement's posts focused on the liturgical colors of blue and rose, both interesting to consider because of their very limited use. Blue, apparently, is only allowed to be used in certain places, namely Spain. I must say that after viewing the pictures posted on the site, I kind of wish that Blue was accepted everywhere! Here is one of their pictures from Málaga, Spain:

Rose is also a rarely seen liturgical color, as it is only used once each during Advent and Lent. This upcoming Sunday is Gaudete Sunday, the day during Advent when Rose is permitted, so be on the lookout!

Finally, just for fun, here are a couple of sites to check out regarding vestments:

Dappled Photos is a site dedicated to "Catholic ceremonial vesture and objects." I believe I have linked to their site in past posts, but thought it would be appropriate to bring up again.

Last (and maybe least), is a humorous site called Bad Vestments. This site has photos of some strange looking vestments. A bit different than what NLM features, but fun to look at, at least once.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Today's feast emphasizes primarily the extraordinary fullness of grace granted to Mary in the first moment of her conception. We likewise celebrate her exalted prerogative of being the only person who through the merits of Jesus Christ was preserved from every stain of original sin.

"In its origin and purpose today's feast has no relation to Advent. It was placed on December 8 simply to complete the needed nine month period before September 8, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, the feast redily lends itself to Advent themes. During the time when we are awaiting the Savior, when we are striving to arouse in ourselves a deep consciousness of the need for redemption, when we lovingly look up to Mary as our chiefest model, then indeed does this feast seem like the golden dawn before the rising sun of Christmas. December 8, therefore, is a genuine Advent feast."

-From The Church's Year of Grace by Pius Parsch

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruitof thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of death.
Amen.

The Week Ahead - Keeping Up With All The Feasts

There are a number of important feast days in the upcoming week. I would like to make posts about each one, but I am predicting that I will not end up having the time due to this being a very busy week for me. I will try, but I figured that, just in case, I would write one quick post here mentioning them and encourage everyone to take some time each day to observe the celebrations of these Holy men and women.

Monday, December 7th is the Feast of St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.

Tuesday, December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a holy day of obligation in the United States.

Wednesday, December 9th is the Feast of Blessed Juan Diego, the man to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared.

Saturday, December 12th is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas.

A great way to keep up with all of these wonderful feast days is to check out the website Catholic Culture. Visit their site and click the link "Liturgical Year" at the top of the homepage. They have tons of great information about the liturgical celebrations of the Church. One feature I especially like on their site is their "Things To Do" section for some feast days. They give ideas for ways of celebrating the feast days, including cultural traditions, links to websites, and even recipes.

Another great way to keep up with all of these Feasts is to have a book, such as a Lives of the Saints book to read daily. I have been very lucky lately to obtain a couple of great books that have a vast amount of information about the Church's liturgical traditions. Both of the books are pretty old, so they may not be easy to acquire, but if you can get your hands on them, I would highly recommend them.

The first is titled Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs; The Year of the Lord in Liturgy and Folklore by Francis X. Weiser. Originally published in 1952, my copy was printed in 1958. It is filled with historical and cultural facts about the Church's liturgical celebrations.

The second is the first volume of the set of books called The Church's Year of Grace by Dr. Pius Parsch. A good friend recently gave me this book. I haven't read much of it yet, but I can tell you that it has a ton of great information about the Church's liturgical life. The volume I have spans from Advent to Candlemas. Each day has its own entry with information about the prayers and mass for the day. It does, of course, not follow the modern Roman calendar exactly since it was written before the Second Vatican Council, but the information it contains is still wonderful.

I believe that we as Catholics are called to more than just attending mass on Sundays. We need to be a part of the liturgical life of the Church, which will lead us, as St. Paul exhorted us, to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). By observing the feasts of the Church and sharing the traditions of the Church with our families, we will be learning more about our faith and strengthening our relationship with Our Lord.

Have a great week!

Sunday Inspiration - Second Sunday of Advent

In today's Gospel, we hear about St. John the Baptist fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah:

"a voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough ways plain; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

In this time of Avent, as we eagerly await the coming of Our Lord, we need to be the John the Baptists of today, crying out in the wilderness of our modern society, sharing the Gospel and preparing the way of the Lord.

As Pope St. Gregory the Great said, "Everyone that preaches true faith and good works, what does he do but prepare the way of the Lord so that He may come into the hearts of his hearers, and may make straight the path for God, forming right dispositions within them by the words of his exhortations, so that this power of pardon may enter in there, and the light of truth shine there?"

Let us not cease in praying and preaching the Gospel until that day when all flesh knows of the salvation that God offers through His Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Feast of St. Nicholas

December 6th is normally the Feast day of St. Nicholas. Since this year the 6th is actually the Second Sunday of Advent, I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong) that his feast is not actually celebrated. Even so, I still thought I might write a short post about this well-known saint.

St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra in Asia Minor and died around 350. He is a very popular saint throughout the world, especially in the Eastern Churches.

In his book, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, Francis X. Weiser tells us this about the traditions of the Feast of St. Nicholas:

"In many parts of Europe children still receive his 'visit' on the eve of his feast. Impersonated by a man wearing a long white beard, dressed in the vestments of a bishop, with miter and crozier, he appears in the homes as a heavenly messenger. Coming at the start of Advent, he admonishes the children to prepare their hearts for a blessed and holy Christmas. He examines them on their prayers. After exhorting them to be good, he distributes fruit and candy and departs with a kindly farewell, leaving the little ones filled with holy awe.

"It was this 'visit of Saint Nicholas' on December 5 that the Dutch brought to the New World as an annual cherished custom. From it later developed the American custom of Santa Claus's visit at Christmas."

I must say that I personally prefer the traditional celebration of this feast day in which St. Nicholas helps us to prepare for Christmas, rather than Santa Claus being the most important part of Christmas.

Why not start this tradition of celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas with your family?

Finally, just for fun, here is a video I recently came across related to St. Nicholas:

Listen to Sung Masses and Vespers

Last night I had the opportunity to attend sung Vespers for the first Sunday of Advent along with exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at my parish. It was a very beautiful and prayerful service. I wish that more parishes made this available for the faithful to take part in the beautiful prayer of the Church.

Going right along with that, The New Liturgical Movement made a post today about the Monks of the Monastery of San Benedetto in Norcia, Italy who have begun recording their sung Masses and Vespers and made them available to listen to for free on the internet. Here is a portion from NLM explaining:

"The NLM and the Benedictine Monastery of San Benedetto in Norcia, Italy (the birthplace of St. Benedict) are pleased to jointly announce today that, as we begin the liturgical year, so too has a new initiative begun which will make available recordings of festal and Sunday Vespers each and every Sunday as well as for important feast days of the liturgical year.

"The monks are, of course, already making available audio recordings of their daily Mass and this addition now makes Sung Vespers, in a Benedictine form of the Divine Office, available to a wider public, thus facilitating greater access to sung Sunday and Festal Vespers than has heretofore been available to the general Catholic public -- not, mind you, as it might be sung by a professional choir of course, but rather Vespers sung from within the intimacy of the monastic community and as part of the day-to-day exercise of the monastic horarium.

"It is certainly my own hope that, in addition to providing people with the opportunity to listen in each week, on feast days, or with whatever frequency they may choose, this might further inspire people to take up the praying of the Divine Office as part of their own personal spiritual practice, and also encourage priests and parishes to make sung Sunday Vespers available as part of their own parish liturgical life -- both of which were encouraged by the Second Vatican Council."

On the right side of this page, you will see a picture that links to the Monks' site with their recordings. I have listened to a bit of what they have up there and it is beautiful. It is in Latin which may pose a problem for those attempting to pray along, unless a Latin-English prayer book is available. If not, however, it is still nice to listen to while you are working on your computer or as background while you pray Vespers yourself in English. Regardless of how you intend to use these recordings, they are beautiful and I would encourage all to give them a listen!

Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle

St. Matthew 4:18-22

"As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him."

November 30th is the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. As the Gospel reading above states, Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. After Pentecost, it is believed that Andrew spread the Gospel in Greece and was martyred, being crucified on an x-shaped cross. Read more about St. Andrew here and check out the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi, Italy that houses his relics.

St. John Lateran Virtual Tour

A few weeks back, I wrote a post about the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Well, I recently found out about a website on which you can take a virtual tour of this magnificent Church. Once on the site, you can choose various areas of the Church to explore. It takes a minute to load, but once it does, you can use your mouse to look all around. Be sure to take a look at some of the side chapels which are more beautiful than most churches I have ever visited. The site also provides beautiful music to listen to while you're looking around. Check it out, I think you'll be glad you did.

1st Vespers of Advent

I just wanted to write a quick post to let everyone know that Catholic TV is going to be airing the 1st vespers of Advent with Pope Benedict XVI from the Vatican on Sunday, November 29th at noon and 8pm. Here is their commercial for it:



The New Liturgical Movement already has pictures of the service on their site.

Tune in if you can to watch this beautiful beginning of Advent.

Sunday Inspiration - 1st Sunday of Advent

To You I lift up my soul;

In You, O my God, I trust;

Let me not be put to shame;

Let not my enemies exult over me.

No one who waits for You shall be put to shame.

Happy New Year!

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the new liturgical year of the Church. We begin the year by focusing on the coming of our Lord, which we celebrate on Christmas. My prayer for Advent is that everyone will spend this season preparing their hearts room for Jesus Christ.

Of course, as I mentioned in recent posts, many people focus most of this season preparing for Christmas morning with gifts and decorations, neither of which are bad in themselves. But let us not forget about the King of kings, the Lord of lords for whom we are celebrating.

Along those ends, I recently found out about the organization called Advent Conspiracy, which advocates for a changing of priorities in our society during Advent and Christmas. They produced this excellent video which really speaks for itself. Check it out, maybe you'll be inspired:

I really like the idea about taking some money you save from buying less stuff and giving it to those in need. One organization that helps you do this is World Vision . They have tons of options for donating money. You can buy people farm animals, wells, school supplies, and many more things that will help those who are seriously in need. Consider making this a part of your Advent and Christmas traditions.

So as we wait for the coming of Our Lord, let us give thanks for all that we have, but not be so focused on what we do not have that we forget about those who have nothing.

I pray that God blesses everyone during this wonderful season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 150

Hallelujah!

Praise God in his holy sanctuary;

give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.
Give praise for his mighty deeds,

praise him for his great majesty.
Give praise with blasts upon the horn,

praise him with harp and lyre.
Give praise with tambourines and dance,

praise him with flutes and strings.

Give praise with crashing cymbals,

praise him with sounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD!

Hallelujah!

Black Friday Rant

Well, today is Thanksgiving, a wonderful day in which we give thanks to God for all that we have. Unfortunately, for many this holiday has turned into a day of preparation for the intense first day of Christmas shopping known as Black Friday. It is called Black Friday because of the huge profits many retailers make, causing them to be "in the black," as opposed to "in the red." Most stores have big discounts on items which means that scores of people line up hours in advance hoping to be one of the lucky ones to partake in these deals. I have been seeing advertisements on televsion for the big sales that many stores are having. Just yesterday I saw an add for a clothing store that will be opening at 3am!

I see two problems with all of this material madness.

First, Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday we have in the U.S.A. and for many it has been pushed aside to make way for their desire to save a bit of money on Christmas gifts. Rather than being focused on what we can get for cheap, we should be giving thanks for what we have.

Second, because most of these stores that have deals on items only have a limited quantity, it has lead to some serious competition. As mentioned above, people camp out all night waiting for the store to open. Then, as we hear about in the news each year, as the store doors open there are mass stampedes with people being injured and sometimes killed and, of course, there are the disputes and fights over the items. Here is an article about last year's madness in which a Wal-Mart employee was crushed and two men shot each other at a toy store.

Personally, I think it's crazy. Christmas is a celebration of the life of Christ and the life that we all have through Him. Yet we're willing to kill to buy presents to celebrate that?

Please join me in praying that people will find the true meaning of Christmas and not be so focused on getting the best stuff for the best deals that they are willing to hurt others to get it.

More Inspiration - The Youth Bringing Christ to the Streets

I just saw this over at wdtprs and felt that it was more than worthy to be shared.

This weekend the National Catholic Youth Conference was held in Kansas City. There was a Eucharistic Procession of about 22,000 people. The pictures from this event are absolutely amazing and inspiring. I've posted a couple below. Click here to see them in a larger format (my little pictures do not do them justice) and to see other pictures from the event.

What an amazing witness! Imagine someone walking down the street, turning the corner, and seeing this! I would say this is a pretty powerful way to spread the Gospel!

Sunday Inspiration - Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

This Sunday is the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. This is the last Sunday of the Church year and so we finish the year by celebrating the King of Kings. Next week we begin the season of Advent in which we prepare for the coming of Our Lord. Below is the Gospel reading for this feast, a quote from St. Augustine, and the Collect from the old Roman Missal. I pray that these will help direct all who read them to Our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

St. John 18-33-37

Pilate said to Jesus,"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

"For He Who on earth is called the King of the Jews, in heaven is Lord of the Angels"
-St. Augustine

Collect from the old Roman missal:

Almighty and eternal God,
who hast willed to restore all things in Thy beloved Son,
the King of the whole creation:
mercifully grant that all the peoples of the human family
which have been disunited by the wound of sin
may become subject to the most sweet dominion of Him:
Who liveth and reigneth, with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen.

It's Christmas!!! - oh wait...its not even Thanksgiving yet.

I love Christmas. I just want to say that before I start complaining about so much of the stuff that comes with Christmas. To me Christmas is a very important day because it is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ. I love the beautiful music, visiting with family, and decorating the tree.

I also love Thanksgiving. And the season of Advent. That is why I am very bothered by the fact that I began seeing Christmas decorations on display in stores, Christmas advertisements on television, and Christmas lights on houses in October! I just saw a commerical on television yesterday advertising a Christmas program for kids that is going to be aired this week!

I think in some ways people think this early celebration of Christmas somehow enhances the holiday. I, however, think that it takes away from it very much, not to mention taking away almost completely the celebration of Thanksgiving and the preparation for Christmas that is the season of Advent. It seems that Christmas would be so much more meaningful if we waited in anticipation until the actual day to celebrate. What a celebration it would be! I must admit that in the last few years I am pretty much sick of Christmas by the time it even gets here. Even though I try to avoid Christmas as much as I can until we get close to December 25th, it is almost impossible. I am bombarded with commercials, advertisements, and music. It's everywhere!

So here is my suggestion: Wait for Christmas. Give thanks and celebrate on Thanksgiving, rather than spending the day planning your 18-hour shopping trip on "Black Friday." Spend the beautiful season of Advent preparing for and anticipating the coming of Our Lord. And finally, celebrate Christmas...on December 25th!

Sunday Inspiration

In the Gospel according to St. Mark, we hear this account of Christ's death:

And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "Look, he is calling Elijah." One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down." Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

This calls to mind the beautiful Psalm from which Jesus' words come. This Psalm has been an inspiration to me this week. It begins with the Psalmist seeming frightened and alone, but then, even with so many terrible things going on, he turns and praises God. I pray that this Psalm will also be an inspiration to you in troubled times.

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?
My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them.
To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me:
"You relied on the LORD--let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you."
Yet you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my mother's breast.
Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since birth you are my God.
Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me; fierce bulls of Bashan encircle me.
They open their mouths against me, lions that rend and roar.
Like water my life drains away; all my bones grow soft.
My heart has become like wax, it melts away within me.
As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue sticks to my palate;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Many dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me.
So wasted are my hands and feet that I can count all my bones.
They stare at me and gloat; they divide my garments among them;
for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, LORD, do not stay far off; my strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword, my forlorn life from the teeth of the dog.
Save me from the lion's mouth, my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.
Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly; in the community I will praise you:
"You who fear the LORD, give praise!
All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!
For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch,
Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out.
I will offer praise in the great assembly;
my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.
The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the LORD will offer praise.
May your hearts enjoy life forever!"
All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the LORD;
All the families of nations will bow low before you.
For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.
All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God;
All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage.
And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you.
The generation to come will be told of the Lord,
that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.

Blog Update

My life has been quite hectic lately, hence the lack of recent posts. For those of you who read this blog, I will be trying to increase the frequency of posts soon. Please pray for me.

Dedication of St. John Lateran

Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. You can read about the history of this glorious church here and here. These pictures, from the latter of the previously mentioned links, show the beauty of this church, built under the Emperor Constantine.

The Nave



The High Altar



The Pope's Cathedra



Today's Opening Prayer from Mass:


God our Father,
from living stones, your chosen people,
you built an eternal temple to your glory.
Increase the spiritual gifts you have given to your Church,
so that your faithful people may continue to grow
into the new and eternal Jerusalem.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Sunday Inspiration - Spreading the Gospel

In Friday's reading at Mass from St. Paul's letter to the Romans (15:14-21), the Apostle says:

"For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ. Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation, but as it is written:
'Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.'"

The priest at my parish preached an inspiring homily about this reading on not being afraid to spread the Gospel. He reminded us that that is what we are called to do as Christians.

This video, that a friend of mine recently found and posted on Facebook, is a short film about bringing Christ to those who may not know Him. May it inspire all who watch it to do just that.

See more inspiring videos at NYpriest.com.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,

et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen

Monday, November 2nd is the commemoration of all the faithful departed, commonly known as All Souls Day. On this day we remember and pray for all the faithful who have gone before us. Don't forget to spend some time praying today for all family members, friends, acquaintances, and even those unknown to you for eternal rest in Heaven with Our Lord. Visit a cemetery and pray for those buried there. And, of course, be sure to attend mass. There are indulgences that can be attained for the dead by doing such things.

The New Liturgical Movement has had a few posts on its site in the last week about All Souls Day that are worth reading. First, they have their 5th annual appeal for the clergy to wear black vestments for All Souls celebrations. They also have ideas for living a liturgical life.

Finally, here is the beautiful sequence, Dies Irae, from the Mass for the Dead. The Latin text can be read here. Below the video is a very poetic English translation.

Lo, the Day of Wrath, that day
Shall the world in ashes lay;
David thus and Sibyl say.

Oh, how great shall be the fear,
When at last, as Judge severe,
Christ the Lord shall reappear.

When the trumpet’s wondrous sound,
Ringing through each burial ground,
All shall call the Throne around.

Death and Nature then shall quake
As the Dead from dust awake,
To their Judge reply to make.

Then shall written book be brought,
Showing every deed and thought,
From which judgment will be sought.

So, before the Judge enthroned,
Shall each hidden sin be owned,
Naught of guilt left unatoned.

How shall then my life appear?
Who the Saint my prayer to hear,
When the just himself shall fear?

Thou, O dread and mighty King,
Mercy’s inexhausted Spring,
Now Thy free deliverance bring.

Think, good Jesus, think, I pray,
I it was that caused Thy way,
Cast me not aside that day!

Faint in search of me hast lain,
On the Cross hast suffered pain,
Shall such labor be in vain!

Who just judge of vengeance art,
Thy forgiveness now impart,
Ere the accepted day depart.

Guilty, lo, I groan with fear,
Whilst with shame Thy Throne I near,
Thou, O God, my crying hear!

Who didst bend to Mary’s grief,
Didst accept the contrite thief,
Wilt not grudge me Thy relief.

All unworthy though my prayer,
Yet be Thine the gracious care
That hell’s fire be not my share.

Far from that rejected band,
Mid Thy sheep O bid me stand,
Safely placed at Thy right hand.

When the cursed, at Thy behest,
Go to flames that never rest,
Call me Thou to join the Blest.

Prostrate now in prayer I bend,
Contrite now my breast I rend,
Help me Thou at my last end.

Sad indeed shall be the day
When the guilty, cast away,
Fall into eternal gloom.
Save us. Lord, from such a doom.

In Thy mercy, Jesus blest,
Grant Thy servants endless rest.
Amen.

Sunday Inspiration - All Saints

This Sunday, November 1st, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. On this day we remember all those Holy men and women who have been exemplary imitators of Christ and servants of Him and His Church, and request their intercession for us to Our Father in Heaven.

Today join in this beautiful prayer, the Collect from the traditional Roman liturgy of All Saints:

Almighty and eternal God,
who givest us to celebrate in one solemnity the merits of all Thy Saints:

we beseech Thee to bestow upon us,

through these countless intercessors,

the longed-for fullness of Thy propitiation.

Through Our Lord,

Amen.

Another wonderful prayer for today is the Litany of the Saints. EWTN has an English version here. Below is a beautful version of the Litany of the Saints sung in Latin:

And finally, just for fun:

USCCB Encourages Action on Health Care Reform

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is encouraging the faithful to speak up about Health Care Reform and the issue of the sanctity of all human life. The Bishops have issued a nationwide bulletin insert, available on their website here.

In this insert, they state,
"Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them."

The website linked above also has an easy way for you to email your representatives and senators to let them know that you stand with the Bishops and the Church on these issues. DO THIS! Our Congressional representatives need to know that there are many people who care about life!

Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles

Today is the feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude. Both are said to have spread the faith and become martyrs. I thought a good way of celebrating this feast day would be to read through the epistle attributed to St. Jude. It is a short letter, but contains some great exhortations about keeping the faith.

Here is an excerpt: (verses 20-25)

"But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.
"To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, power, and authority from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen."

Sunday Inspiration

The Gospel for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

St. Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say,"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more,"Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him,"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

From St. Thomas Aquinas' Catena Aurea, a summary of Pope St. Gregory the Great's homily on the Gospel:

The blind man is the human race which, in its first parent, turned from the brightness of the heavenly light and suffered the darkness of its own banishment...As our Savior therefore draws nigh to Jericho, the blind man returns to the light; because when divinity assumed to itself the failing of our flesh, mankind received back the light it had lost. He therefore that knows not the brightness of the eternal light is blind. But if he believes in the Redeemer Who said "I am the Way," he is sitting by the way side; if he has believed, and now earnestly implores that he may receive the light he is sitting by the way side, begging.

They who walked in front of Jesus, signify the crowds of carnal desires, and the tumult of the vices, which, before Christ makes entry to our heart, scatter our thoughts, and torment us in our prayer. But he cried out much more; because the more we are afflicted by the excessive troubling of our thoughts, the more earnestly ought we to persevere in prayer. But when in our prayer we still suffer the thronging images of the senses, we are in a manner hearing Jesus passing by. But when we are earnestly insistent in our prayer, God is held fast in our heart, and the lost light is restored.

It pertains to His Humanity that He passes by, and to His Divinity to be still. And so the Lord when passing by heard the blind man crying out, and standing He gave him sight; for suffering with us in His own humanity He hears with compassion the cries of our blindness; but it is by His Divinity that the light of His grace is poured into our souls. For this however He asks the blind man what he wishes: that He may waken our hearts to prayer.

Christian Unity

In yesterday's Gospel (St. Luke 12:49-53), Our Lord said,

"Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Since Christ's earthly life, not only has the world experienced that division between believers and non-believers, but also within Christ's Church itself.

Our Lord also prayed, however: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." (St. John 17:20-21)

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI is taking this prayer of Jesus very seriously and trying to unify Christian peoples. In the 4 1/2 years of his pontificate, we've witnessed him do many things to try to create more unity in Christitanity. He has made provisions for those who prefer the traditional liturgy. He has held talks with leaders of the Orthodox Church. He has agreed to hold talks with the Society of St. Pius X. And now this week, he paves the way for large numbers of Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church. (A great video explaining this was posted on American Papist. See it here.)

We need to continue to pray for our Pope and pray the prayer of Jesus for unity of all Chrisitan peoples into what St. Irenaeus called "the tradition derived from the Apostles of the greatest, most ancient, and universally known Church, founded and established by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul...the faith decalred to men which through the succession of bishops comes down to our times."

St. Isaac Jogues and Companions

Tomorrow, October 19th, is the Memorial of St. Isaac Jogues and his companions. These 8 men were French Jesuit missionaries to North America in the 17th century. They were all martyred in the 1640's. Read more about St. Isaac Jogues here.

Prayer:
Almighty God, You consecrated the spread of the Faith in North America by the blood of St. Isaac Jogues and his companions who were preaching the Faith to the Indians. Through their intercession let more people everywhere respond to the Good News of salvation. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunday Inspiration

This weekend, share your faith with someone. Talk to a friend about the joy you experience at Mass. Invite a family member who has fallen away from their faith to come to Mass with you. Let someone know that you're praying for them.

Maybe you could email them a link to this video from Catholics Come Home:

Feast of St. Gerard Majella

Tomorrow, October 16th, is the feast day of St. Gerard Majella. St. Gerard is the patron of expectant mothers. This Saint has special meaning to my family right now since my wife is expecting our first child.

St. Gerard was a Redemptorist brother who was known for great humility, piety, and charity. He died when he was only 29 years old.

Priests for Life have had a Novena on their website in honor of St. Gerard for the last week. Here is the prayer they offer:

St. Gerard,

You worshiped Jesus as the Lord of Life.

I ask you today to pray

For my special intention.

(Mention your intention here.)

Lift up to Jesus

All those who seek to conceive a child,

All those having difficult pregnancies,

All who have suffered the loss of a child,

And all who lovingly lift up their children to God.

Pray that all of us,

By caring for mothers, fathers, and children

born and unborn

May build a Culture of Life,

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Read more about St. Gerard here.

Prejudice and Catholicism

Fr. Z over at the blog What Does the Prayer Really Say? picked up on a great opinion piece written in the Canadian newspaper, the National Post. The article, titled "The Last Acceptable Prejudice," discusses how easily and quickly people criticize the Catholic Church when anything negative is done by a member of the Church.

It is a great article. Read it here.

Fr. Emil Kapaun, Servant of God

I read a great story today about a priest from Kansas, Fr. Emil Kapaun, who has been recommended by the Secretary of the Army to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service as a chaplain during the Korean War. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The prisoners of the 8th Cavalry Regiment spoke of how Kapaun, an Army chaplain, continued to look after his men even though he was wounded and sick himself. Risking his own life, Kapaun would sneak out after dark to scrounge food for those too weak to eat, fashion makeshift containers to collect water and wash their soiled clothes.

"Kapaun died at the camp hospital seven months after he was first taken captive by the Chinese in 1950. More than a half-century later, the Army's top civilian leader has recommended that Kapaun, who is also a candidate for sainthood, receive the Medal of Honor."

This type of selflessness and total service to God and His people is such an inspiration. The article goes on to talk about how Fr. Kapaun had served in WWII as a chaplain and when the Korean war began, he "pleaded with his bishop" to allow him to serve again.

Read the full article here.

You can also check out a website dedicated to his cause for canonization here.

Some Interesting Websites

I personally enjoy learning about some of the lesser known facts and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. Below are a few websites that I have found in my searching the internet that include some of these interesting tidbits. If you share a similar interest, check them out!

Dappled Photos: This site includes a plethora of photos and information about the Roman clergy's vestments. Here is one example of their great photos:

Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston 1944-1970

Catholic Hierarchy: On this site, you can trace the episcopal lineage of any bishop. Type in your bishop's name and see who ordained him! It also has other information, such as info about dioceses.

Going right along with that is the site, Apostolic Succession in the Roman Catholic Church. On the homepage of this site, there is an explanation of why most episcopal lineages trace back to one man, Scipione Cardinal Rebiba.

So if you have some spare time, and are interested, check out these sites. They're fun, informative, and might even inspire you to learn more about your Church!

Sunday Inspiration

Miraculous Mass by Simone Martini

For Priests:

Take heed therefore and see what it is of which the ministry is committed to thee by the laying on of the Bishop's hand. Behold thou art made a priest and art consecrated to celebrate. See now that thou do it before God faithfully and devoutly at due time, and shew thyself without blame. Thou hast not lightened thy burden, but art now bound with a straiter bond of discipline, and art pledged to a higher degree of holiness. A priest ought to be adorned with all virtues and to afford to others an example of good life. His conversation must not be with the popular and common ways of men, but with Angels in Heaven or with perfect men on earth.
A priest clad in holy garments taketh Christ's place that he may pray unto God with all supplication and humility for himself and for the whole people. He must always remember the Passion of Christ. He must diligently look upon Christ's footsteps and fervently endeavour himself to follow them. He must bear meekly for God whatsoever ills are brought upon him by others. He must mourn for his own sins, and for the sins committed by others, and may not grow careless of prayer and holy oblation, until he prevail to obtain grace and mercy. When the priest celebrateth, he honoureth God, giveth joy to the Angels, buildeth up the Church, helpeth the living, hath communion with the departed, and maketh himself a partaker of all good things.

-Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book IV, V


For the lay faithful:

Prayer for receiving Holy Communion:
Almighty, Everlasting God, lo, I draw near to the sacrament of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As sick, I approach to the Physician of Life; unclean, to the Fountain of Mercy; blind, to the Light of eternal Brightness; poor and needy, to the Lord of Heaven and earth. I implore Thee, therefore, out of the abundance of Thy boundless mercy, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to heal my sickness, to wash my defilements, to enlighten my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my nakedness; that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, with such reverence and humility, such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, such purpose and intention, as is expedient for the health of my soul. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, but also the whole grace and virtue of that Sacrament. O most merciful God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine Only-begotten-Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which He took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be found worthy to be incorporated into His mystical Body, and accounted among His members. And, O most loving Father, grant that whom now I purpose to receive under a veil I may at last behold with unveiled face, even Thy beloved Son. Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost ever liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

-St. Thomas Aquinas

Mother Teresa on Peace

In all of the news and discussion about President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I have heard many question what Obama has accomplished as compared to other Nobel laureates. Mother Teresa is one that has come up many times. I must admit that I was quite surprised when I heard about Obama's award; I actually thought it was a joke at first. Now, when I read Mother Teresa's speech from when she received the Peace Prize and compare it with Obama's actions, I am totally baffled as to why he was given this honor. Here is a portion of what she had to say:

"I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing - direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: Even if a mother could forget her child - I will not forget you - I have carved you in the palm of my hand. We are carved in the palm of His hand, so close to Him that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God. And that is what strikes me most, the beginning of that sentence, that even if a mother could forget something impossible - but even if she could forget - I will not forget you. And today the greatest means - the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion. And we who are standing here - our parents wanted us. We would not be here if our parents would do that to us. Our children, we want them, we love them, but what of the millions. Many people are very, very concerned with the children in India, with the children in Africa where quite a number die, maybe of malnutrition, of hunger and so on, but millions are dying deliberately by the will of the mother. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today. Because if a mother can kill her own child - what is left for me to kill you and you kill me - there is nothing between."

I Confess...

Last Sunday at the parish I attended, the priest preached an excellent homily about confession. He pointed out how Pope John Paul II would go to confession every day. If this man, who many consider to be a saint, felt the need to confess his sins every single day, what about us? The priest, who is quite old, noted how in the last 30 years he has seen a huge drop in the number of people who attend confession regularly. This sacrament, and the grace received through it, is badly needed today. We are all sinners. God is waiting for us to ask for forgiveness.

So...go to confession! And encourage your friends to do the same. Maybe sending them a link to this lighthearted video would help:

Today is a Good Day to Pray!

Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. What a perfect opportunity to get out your rosary and pray!
The Glorious Mysteries:
1. The Resurrection of Our Lord
2. The Ascension of Our Lord
3. The Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
4. The Assumption of Our Blessed Mother in Heaven
5. The Coronation of Our Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth

Take 20 minutes out of your day and pray!

God vs. State

There is a battle going on over a Cross in the Mojave National Preserve in the southern California Desert. The Mojave Cross, a 75-year old war memorial, currently has a box covering it due to objections to a religious symbol existing on public land. The Supreme Court will hear the case this week. CNN's website has the story about the Mojave Cross. It is an interesting read and it discusses some other recent Church vs. State cases. Check it out here.

Remember those WWJD wrist bands that everyone was wearing a while back?

Well, I just feel the need to ask the question. What would Jesus do?

Thankfully we have scripture to tell us. So, here we go:

St. Matthew 10:33

"But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven."

UPDATE:

The New York Times published an editorial about this story, available here. In it they argue for the Cross being taken down. For some reason I notice myself disagreeing with the NY Times' editorials fairly often.

Servants of Mary Center for Peace

If you're ever near Cleveland, OH, make sure to make a stop in a place called Windsor, OH. This is the location of the Servants of Mary Center for Peace, a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Rather than have me explain it, I think this video adequately does the job:

Be sure to check out their website here.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Television and Values

Last week, a cast member of Saturday Night Live said the F-word loud and clear on the air. This week David Letterman was applauded by his audience when he admitted that he had had sexual relationships with women who had worked for his show. This morning I was speaking with a good friend of mine who has two young children and who told me that it is difficult for him to have his children watch television because of the commericals that show images that he does not want his children seeing. The sisters pictured above would not be happy.

The values of our society have changed extremely rapidly and continue to, especially on TV, go down the tube (pun intended). Young people are using words regularly that if I would have used when I was a child, would have caused me to be in serious trouble. Anyone who denies that television, movies, the internet, and music is having a negative impact on our society is fooling themselves.

What can we do about this? Parents need to be responsible. Don't let the TV raise your children. Monitor what they watch and listen to. Talk to them about what they see. Counteract the negative stuff with positive stuff. We can bring values back to our society!

UPDATE:

The National Catholic Register has a good post about this topic here.

October 4th - Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Tomorrow, October 4th, is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. A very popular saint, Francis was the founder of the order that bears his name, the Franciscans. Prior to founding his order, he was at prayer before a crucifix at St. Damian's chapel in Assisi, similar to the one shown above, when he heard a voice speak to him and say, "Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin." St. Francis certainly did that and more.

As stated in the Lives of the Saints:

"Francis of Assisi has captured the heart and imagination of men of all religious persuasions by his love for God and man, as well as all God's creatures, by his simplicity, directness, and single-mindedness, and by the lyrical aspects of his multifaceted life. However, he was far more than an inspired individualist. He was a man possessed of vast spiritual insight and power; a man whose all-consuming love for Christ and redeemed creation burst forth in everything he said and did."

Let us pray the prayer that is attributed to St. Francis that inspires living our faith in all that we do:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

NY Times Editorial on Abortion and Health Care

The New York Times published an editorial on Sept. 30th in which they argue for no restrictions on abortion in the health care plans being considered in Congress.

Read it here.

Here are a few of the more interesting points they make with my comments following:

“In a rational system of medical care, there would be virtually no restrictions on financing abortions. But abortion is not a rational issue, and opponents have succeeded in broadly denying the use of federal dollars to pay for them, except in the case of pregnancies that result from rape or incest or that endanger a woman’s life.”

[I agree with the second statement: Abortion is not a rational issue. It seems to me completely irrational how anyone could argue that the government should pay to have babies killed.]

“These restrictions, which constitute an improper government intrusion into Americans’ private lives…”

[On the contrary, I would argue that the government paying to have a baby killed is definitely an improper government intrusion into Americans’ lives.]


Right now we need to pray and pray often for an end to abortion in our country, especially an end to legal and government subsidized abortions.