HEED THE CALL

Come and See Retreat

2010-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Hopefully these coming months, more time will be afforded to write on the blog about some of the upcoming events we have in the Vocation Office.

On October 22-24th, the Vocation Office will be sponsoring a "Come and See" Retreat at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. This is a special opportunity for young men over the age of 16 to come visit the seminary for the weekend.

Why do we have a retreat like this? For many young men, a formal visit to the seminary can go a long way to help them discern whether or not they are called to take the next step towards the priesthood and enter the seminary. It can be that spark that one needs. It can also help one discern that perhaps they are not called.

In any retreat one makes, the individual should be open to hear the voice of God, and be open to doing whatever God is asking of you. The purpose of a retreat is to take time away so one can hear the voice of God, and to grow in holiness.

If you are reading this, and you are a young man who has possibly considered the priesthood, this retreat might be for you. This retreat is intended for those who have been considering the priesthood for a while, and it is also for those who have just started to think about the priesthood.

For more information, please visit our website, HeedTheCall. Here, you can sign up online, or you can call the Vocation Office to sign up.

God bless.

New Vocation Director

2010-07-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

As of June 21st, Father Kevin Gallagher has become the Vocation Director of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Please pray for Fr. Gallagher as he begins his new ministry of full time vocation work, working with many young men who are discerning the call to the priesthood. More posts on this blog will be forthcoming. God bless.

I Make All Things New

2010-03-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

5th Sunday of Lent

We had an eventful week, this week. The celebration of St. Patrick's Day, St. Joseph's Day and the start of March Madness. In that light it was a terrible week for me. I'm a Temple University Fan. What started off last Sunday as a great week, with the winning of the A-10 Championship Game, turned bad with our seating in the tournament and then worst with our loss on Friday to Cornell. Misery loves company though, so it was some consolation yesterday to see Villanova lose. Now we're all miserable, even Kansas lost!

In light of all that, we hear today's reading from Isaiah: God is doing something new. Remember not the events of the past, things long ago consider not, I am doing something new. Do you not perceive it? Theese my friends are words of command, words of hope as well. I make a way, in the desert, I put water in the desert, I bring hope to my people. Certainly, words of hope to Israel but to you and me today, for they are the words of God who is with us.

Today, we see that Word of God Jesus, bringing tremendous hope to his people. And specifically, to this poor woman who is brought to him.

Clearly, this woman was not having a good day. We are told that she was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Can you imagine?! The shame of that, they catch her and they drag her thru the streets...She has no defense, no excuse, nothing to hide behind, there she is right in the middle, brought before the Lord.

And we see what our Lord does. He does not take away her past or undermine it. He does not console her or put rose colored glasses on the scene. Rather, he bends down and slowly he reveals to all that she is not the only sinner in their midst. She has company....And as they all disappear into their holes, he says to her, has no one condemned you? "Neither do I, condemn you...Go and sin no more."

My friends, what a scene...What a meeting. St. Paul describes his meeting with Christ as something that transformed his life, in fact all else is rubbish compared to meeting Christ Jesus as Lord! To know and to experience the mercy of God is the greatest of all gifts.

Chances are we will not be dragged by others to Jesus. But we need at times to drag ourselves to him, to meet his mercy for our lives. And when that happens. When we can present ourselves to him, our lives can be transformed...as we hear Him say to us...Neither do I condemn you, go sin no more.

Friends, we have need to hear such words, to receive such mercy. This week, let us get to confession so that we can experience this tremendous gift and God can make all things new for us. Let us yearn to hear Jesus say to us..."Has no one condemned you? Neither do I, go sin no more."

Week 3 --- Beware! No Spectators Allowed

2010-03-07T15:05:00.001-08:00

3rd Sunday of Lent

I'd like to begin this writing with a little exercise. I'm going to type out a couple of verbs and I'd like you to pause for a moment and listen to what these verbs trigger in your heart. What comes to your mind and what's your heart's response is. Ready? cut-down, cut-off, cut-up, cut-in, cut-into, cut-short.

OK. I'm not sure what your heart's response is, but I'm certain that such verbs evoke a response....and tap into some of your life's experience. Times when we were cut-up, or cut-off. We can relate to such verbs and so too can our Lord.

Our first response to such experiences might be anger, but we need to take it further. We need to ask WHY??? We hear such questioning today in the Gospel.
Why did the tower fall on those people? Why did the Galieans get killed? We might ask Why did the boss cut-up my idea, Why Lord Why???

"WHY?" is a great question. It gets us thinking and when we address it to the Lord, it evokes from him a response. God invites such questions and thru questions, he leads us to so much more.

We see this today with the call of Moses. The question "why?" is what led Moses to encounter the Lord. He sees the burning bush and he wonders, why is it burning but not consumed? So he moves closer. And at that moment, he hears a voice, STOP...Remove your sandals from your feet, you stand on Holy Ground.

He removes them and then he hears even more from the Lord. Moses realizes that God knows him, God is familiar with the sufferings of Israel and furthermore, God has a plan. God sees how his people are cut-off from their homeland and cut-up by the Egyptians. And not only does God have a plan, he has a name. A name to be made known to the people, remembered, respected thru the ages....

Friends, we see and hear in this reading 3 tremendous truths which we need to make our own:

#1) When faced with questions in life, we need to face them with REVERENCE and RESPECT...Moses needed to take off his sandals, well we need to take off our attitude and pride and take all our questions to the Lord. Engage him with our whys.

#2) We need to remember that God has a plan, he sees all things, he knows all things.

#3) Finally We are integral parts of His Plan, God needs us and we will be answerable to Him. We must bear fruit.

We hear St. Paul telling the Corinthians today, Do NOT BE UNAWARE, but Be aware...It's not enough to be part of the crowd. He says that most of the Israelites who followed Moses were struck down, God was not pleased with them, for they were only part of the crowd.

And so we need to take care. Take Care of ourselves and not be along for the ride in life, but take care in the Lord.

Sometimes I think that we should post signs outside of Church...BEWARE: You are entering into a holy place. God's house, God's dwelling on earth. All are welcomed, no height, no weight restrictions, but you must be changed, you must be made new, converted and bear fruit. All who enter here must leave differently.

For our Church is not a stadium or arena, we are not to just warm the seats and pulpit. Our worship is not a spectator sport....Rather, here we will be challenged, fortified, healed, changed, engaged and sent forth.

My friends, God has great expectations for each and every one of us. Thru reverence, respect, humility, and obedient love...we will realize these expectations, we will be changed so that in due time...we will become who God calls us to be.

WEEK 2

2010-03-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

2nd Sunday of Lent

I'm not sure if you have noticed it or not, but it's beginning to stay lighter longer, these days. Have you noticed?? Despite the snow storms, the signs of spring are beginning to manifest themselves, thru greater light, the crack of basball bats and the turning of the calendar from February to March. This is good news!

And yet, March is a tough month. It's an in between time...a time for mid-term exams for college students, a time when much promise is in the air, but is not yet fully here. We are still vulnerable to winter storms and trials. March as they say comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb...and we are in the midst of that transforming period.

Aware of this, and finding ourselves in Week 2 of Lent, we may be able to relate to this tough time. Chances are you are experiencing tremendous temptations surrounding those Lenten promises that you have made. Temptations around food especially. Isn't it something? Isn't it powerful? By Week 2 of Lent, it is not uncommon for many people to have fallen prey to such temptations. We may find by now broken Lenten promises and discouraged spirits. Easter is on the way but it's still a ways off.

With this in mind, our Gospel today becomes a great gift for us. The Gospel reminds us what Lent, what our Christian lives are all about. And that is TRANSFORMATION. We find in the Gospel today, Jesus with Peter, John and James...they've climbed the high mountain with our Lord and they fall asleep while he is in prayer. But we are told that they are awakened by a revelation of God's Glory, the TRANSFIGURATION of our Lord.

My friends, we need to pray for a similar manifestation of God's grace to us. That we may be awakened, encouraged and guided. We should pray Lord, transform me, Lord shine thru me, Lord use me in these days. We must not allow our Lenten observance to stand on its own, apart from Jesus. But rather, we must stand with Jesus, seeking his amazing grace.

Abram is an example of this, having been awakened in faith, he offers sacrifice and then waits for the coming of the Lord. We do the same. Thru Baptism, we are now IN JESUS, as St. Paul tells us, our citizenship is IN HEAVEN. Therefore, as we move thru these Lenten days, we do so with and in Jesus. And that truth and knowledge alone provides powerful grace for all of us. It makes a difference and will carry us thru this new month, it will carry us thru all difficulty, it will carry us thru these Lenten Days, to the Glory of Easter.

We pray: Jesus may my whole life, all that I am and do, be in you. And there, may I be transformed to be for you and with you in all things. AMEN.

SNOW DRAGON

2010-02-24T08:35:00.001-08:00

First Sunday of Lent

This morning in the newspaper, there was an article about a rather cool or rather "hot" invention called THE SNOW DRAGON. This machine is able to melt tons of snow...10 tons of snow an hour to be exact...in these parts of the Northeast this winter, such a machine is a gift indeed!

As I read about the "snow dragon", I thought how wonderful it would be to have a snow dragon for our hearts. To melt away all the resentments, lusts, greed, jealousies and anxieties that lurk about in the recesses of the heart. As I prayed,
I realized that we do have such a machine. It's the confessional and the season of Lent is the time to make use of this marvelous "machine"!

For many of us, we associate Lent as a time for Winter Spiritual Olympics...a time when WE do spiritual tricks, like the athletes we are watching in Vancouver. I might suggest, however, that we avoid such displays of personal heroics and allow this Lent to be a time when we allow our LORD to do HIS work IN us. A time for Jesus to be a "Snow Dragon" for us. A time when we allow our sin to melt away and be warmed up as we draw close to Jesus. Then, we wake up out of our cold winter.

Of course, such an invitation fits well with our Gospel today. For we find our Lord in a "hot climate" in the desert today, hungry, tired, alone and tempted. And it is here that he meets another type of dragon, SATAN. Jesus meets him head on and endures his wild attacks.

Friends, one of the things that this Gospel shows us is that this meeting between Jesus and Satan is real, it's not an anology, a fable or story. Satan is not just a pipe-dream...he is real! You may not have heard that recently from a catholic pulpit. But it's time to hear it and it's important for us to reflect on that today. For what happens in the Gospel today is crucial, it's real and in the temptations of Jesus we discover what Life is all about. It's a battle.

This is a good reminder, for in seeing this, we see Jesus to be who He is. And he at the root of things is Savior. He's not just a nice guy. Yeah, He's a nice guy, but He is savior. And as such He saves. He saves us. From what? From the fires of Hell. And oh, how we need that salvation.

In light of this fact, it might be helpful re-read once again, what exactly the Church teaches on HELL, i.e. what exactly Jesus saves us from. This reflection might help us in our spiritual life and warm our hearts to the love of Jesus. Let's take a look at the Catechism:

1034 Jesus often speaks of "Gehenna" of "the unquenchable fire" reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.612 Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"613 and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!"614

1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."615 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

My friends, the Good News here is that this teaching does indeed help us to hear the CALL to CONVERSION. The Catechism describes this Call as Urgent. Lent is the time for this to happen.

Let us then, Heed the Call of our Lord. To keep our eyes on the goal and let us ask him to be our snow dragon this season, which will provide us victory over the Satan Dragon in our lives.

COMMENTS ON THE BLOG

2010-02-17T17:39:00.001-08:00

Just a note to those who read this blog, as you can see, I've decided to use this blog as a way of sharing weekly homilies. Comments about the homilies are appreciated and read, but will not be posted or responded to on the blog itself. Should you desire to ask me a question or seek an answer to a comment that you have, I ask you to email me directly by visiting our website....www.HeedTheCall.org
I have found that responding directly to questions via email is more helpful then on the blog. Many thanks!

TWO "Rs" THAT STILL NEED LEARNING

2010-02-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This past week, across the country, the Church celebrated Catholic Schools Week. Catholic Schools have been in the news a good bit locally here in Philly and the whole theme gave me a chance to remember my school days where I learned the 3 Rs -- Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. I suppose that I got by in those subjects and I learned how to read, write and add. But in reflecting on my school days and the most valuable subjects to me, I discovered 2 more Rs which I never had a class in, but which to me mean the most in my life. They are REVERENCE and RESPECT.

While the other Rs no doubt are important in life, with REVERENCE and RESPECT forget it. Our lives would not get very far, indeed would not mean much at all. Without these reverence and repect, we would be just big babies, unruly children in grown up skin...and that my friends is a grim possibility.

My friends, it is these two subjects which we discover in our readings today and which shine so brightly for us. And thus, are worthy of some reflection.

We find in the first reading, the prophet Isaiah receiving his call from the Lord. We are told that he is caught up in an encounter with God: the temple is filled with incense, and he is quite overwhelmed by the sight. His first response is that of reverence, clearly he is in the presence of the holy, holy, holy Lord, who is worthy of his respect and honor. He feels unworthy, but receives that touch of the Lord, a call that would change his life forever.

We see something similar in the Gospel as well. First we hear that the crowd is "pressing in on Jesus, listening to his Word". Isn't that beautiful?? Would that we would do the same, press in on the Lord to hear his Word. That's reverence and respect at work. But there's still more!

Our Lord goes over to the rough and tough fishermen. He tells them to "put out to the deep and lower your nets for a catch". At first, there is some resistance: "Lord, we've been at it all night". But then in a beautiful act of humilty they lower their nets. Alot more was lowered that night besides nets, they lowered their pride which yielded to reverence and respect. Then, there is a great catch of fish and even better a great catch of men, as Jesus "catches" the Apostles. Their response is one of humility and reverence and they heed the call of Jesus, "they left it all and followed him."

My friends, it seems to me that in our highly educated and sophisticated society today, we have lost a lot of reverence and repect. Oh, we may know how to read and write, but without reverence and respect, we are all in trouble. These gifts really do open the gates for true wisdom and life. For when I have reverence and respect for the Lord, for others present in my heart, then I have Love and Love is God. And this is the greatest gift of all.

We might ask ourselves then, What do I reverence in my life. We might even pray...
Lord, give me a reverent heart, a heart on fire with Love for you, not on fire with anger, lust and pride. Teach me Lord to lower the nets of my pride which tangle me up over and over again. Give me Lord the grace to hold you as sacred in my heart, that I may love you, revere you and become like you.

God will answer such a prayer as this, he will teach us, he will give us these 2 great virtues and we like the apostles and Isaiah will never be the same again.

Receiving God's Perspective

2010-02-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here in cold Philadelphia, the hope of SPRING is in the air. Pitchers and Catchers report in less than a month, and Spring Training will soon begin! Just as we can find hope in baseball and we continue to find hope in the priesthood as the Year of the Priest marches onward, and what a beautiful year it has been as we have reflected on the simple yet powerful life of St. John Vianney, patron saint of all priests!

Today's readings offer a similar hope for vocations as we hear of the Call of Jeremiah, the Call of St. Paul to Love and the profession of Jesus Himself, as the fulfillment of all that has been. Great hope indeed, which carries with it, a few powerful lessons.

Lesson #1) Get God's perspective. Automatically in life we have our own perspective. This is natural, how we see things and our perspective can be quite good, accurate and truthful. But our perspective is always finite, always limited. Whether we are sitting in the front row behind home-plate or up in the nosebleed seats, our perspective is never the full or complete. And we are reminded of that today, in the Call of Jeremiah.

We hear of Jeremiah's call in the Old Testament, but notice well that we do not hear from Jeremiah, it's all about the Lord and his plan, his view, his thoughts of Jeremiah. Isn't that interesting?? Isn't that wonderful?? To hear how God sees and thinks of Jeremiah!!! Well the Lord sees and thinks about us as well. And what a gift it is to hear that from the Lord. To get his perspective on our lives, on our call, on our families and situations, etc. Very Interesting. Good News.

We hear of God's perspective also in the Gospel today, as Jesus claims to be the fulfillment of all that has been. And the people are excited as they hear from the Lord, but almost immediately, they fall back onto their own perspective and by the end of the Gospel, they are ready to kill Jesus. They become full of self doubt, full of their limited perspective.

Of course, the same thing can happen to us. We can fall back on our own way of thinking and really quite quickly we can lose hope. Our remedy is not just accepting God's perspective but accepting the Lord himself, who as St. Paul reminds us today, is LOVE. Love is the person of Jesus, and is both the source and the foundation of our vocation. To trust in the Love of God for us, to embrace his perspective and to receive his love, as Jeremiah did, as our Lord did. To trust in God's love for us, this is both our vocation and our salvation. Such Good News!

The challenge is to receive his perspective, his love and then to mature in it as St. Paul did. He who used to think like a child, speak like a child, act like a child, grew mature in love. And so too must we.

So today, let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to receive his perspective on our lives, let's ask the Lord what he sees and thinks, and let us mature in that vision, in that way of life, in the way of love. In this way, we will discover our vocation.

LIVING LIFE WELL

2010-01-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Before any words are said in this homily, we take a moment to call to mind the tragedy that continues to unfold at this moment in Haiti. It should be on our minds as we celebrate this Eucharist and each one of us from the youngest person here to the oldest, should right now lift up a prayer to the Lord for the people involved.

While we cannot do much, the Gospel tonight is a stark reminder to us, of the power of intercession. As Mary turned to Jesus and said, "They have no more wine.", we too can turn to Jesus and tell him about the people of Haiti, perhaps we can even tell Mary and Mary as she did in Cana will tell Jesus.

Next week, the collection will go toward the victims of Haiti, we will send the monies to Catholic Relief Services who are on the ground as we speak.

The Haiti earthquake this week, gives all of us cause to pause and to consider the fragility of our lives. While we do not live in a 3rd world country, our lives are just as fragile and just as vulnerable, if not to earthquakes, to cancer, sickness, sufferring and all of us of course subject to death.

In considering this, how important it is that we live life well. We hear a lot about wellness at this time of year, the gyms and health clubs are crowded, we all look toward being well at the start of the new year, with good intentions. But when we look twice at things, we come to see that at the end of the day, living well means that we have loved well. That in our lives we have had a beautiful experience of being love and sharing love with others. Is that not what it all comes down to??
The well life is the life of love.

Such imagery of love is all over the sciptures today. The first reading speaks of spousal love, the Gospel is the Wedding Feast of Cana, and Paul is gearing us up here in Corinthians for the greatest gift of all, the gift of Love. Without which we have nothing at all.

The challenge of course is to remain in love and to not allow our love to grow dull.
That's the human tendency and that is our challenge. For the Lord, as he demonstrates in the Gospel today, is always about New Things. Our love should be growing more and more new, more and more fervent, or else our love runs the risk of not being love at all.

So let us not be drunk on the old wine, or filled with the false fillers-- false foods that do not satisfy, but let us each and every day...make it a conscious choice to love. For if we do not have love we are nothing at all. But with love, each and everyone of us will be well.

A Green that Does Not Disappoint

2010-01-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

January 10, 2010
Baptism of the Lord

Last Evening, two seasons came to an end. The season finale of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Season Finale of the Christmas Season as celebrated in the Church.
Thanks be to God, the endings could not be more different.

The Eagles ending leaves us with great uncertainty, doubts and questions. But the Christmas ending leaves us filled with confident hope, with tremendous certainty as we proclaim that GOD IS WITH US and HE WILL REMAIN WITH US FOREVER. What began in Bethlehem, continues to this day...and therefore, we are no longer alone, we have a Savior....and His Life continues with us to this day.

Today, as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, we celebrate a Feast that ushers us into not a post-season, or an off-season, but really THE SEASON of Life and grace in Christ. Life with Christ thru the Christmas Mysetery and thru His Baptism and ours.

We have a great scene in today's Gospel of Luke, where we see Jesus and his friends hanging out by the Jordan River. We believe that at this point, Jesus is a young man, about 30 years old and we find him there with his friends! They are not only hanging out by the Jordan but together they are being Baptized and then we hear that beautiful Word of the Father....that this one who looks like all the rest..."This one,here, is my beloved Son, on whom my favor rest."

My friends, how fortunate we are to share in the baptism of the Lord, and to be baptized in Him. By this mystery we are indeed his children, filled with grace and united in the Lord. This is tremendously good news...for now we are part not only of our human family, but God's family, the Church and as such we have a tremendous place, tremendous hope. This feast reminds us of who we are, of the ongoing gift of Christmas and of Baptism in Jesus.

So, in a time of year that can be difficult, when we are taking down the decorations, paying the bills from Christmas, and shedding the green. The Church reminds us of the green that never fades...the hope that Christmas and Baptism bring to each one of us. I would invite you this week, to remember that fact that you are baptized. Ask the waters of your baptism to drown out the lusts, the pride, the anxieties that can fill your heart and ask those same waters to bring to life the spring of hope...the Life of Christ within you.

This is the gift that we are invited to receive, and as the world sheds it's greens this week, we will be wearing the "green of Christ", a green and hope that never disappoints!

STAR POWER

2010-01-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2010
Feast of the Epiphany

From perhaps the beginning of time, human beings have been and still are attracted by the stars. Of course there are various types of stars.

There are those in the heavens like the North star, the sun itself is a star. Such stars provide not just beauty and light, but guidance and direction. They were the original GPSss! How important are those heavenly stars.

Another type of star, are the one that are on the ground. Human stars...men and women who excel in their field, the outliers, the rich and the famous. And we all know and have those type of stars. What a power they have, men and women, teams or brands that have tremendous respect, talent and appeal. No doubt, even those type of stars have great power over us.

Finally, there are the stars that lie within each and everyone of us. The stars of hopes, dreams, goals, and calls that lie within...and which we all have. To be the 5 star dad, or priest, to be the best or brightest on the block or at work.

Whatever the type of star, all stars have tremendous power, appeal and all stars give direction. Stars help us look up and out of ourself...star-power is indeed great.

Today, on this Feast of the 3 Kings, Epiphany...we are told of course of the star that led these wise men. This was not just any star, but this was the star prophesied and long ago spoken of in Israel. The star that would rise over Bethlehem, foreshadowing the newborn King, and that would draw all peoples to Him.

These wise men had been looking for this star, and it was as though their whole life had been wrapped up in this star. They had banked their life on it. And when they finally spotted it, they followed. And thus, they found, the one they had been looking for, not a star Himself, but Jesus, the Savior.

We are told that they found him and worshiped. They gave him their gifts, their very livelihood, they gave him their all. And then, we are told that they went home differently. How true! They went home not just along a different way, geographically, but different totally, for they had seen Jesus and their lives were changed forever.

My friends, this beautiful feast invites us, in this New Year to do the same, that is, to encounter Jesus. And this feast shows us how that meeting can take place.

This feast invites us to take a look at the stars that have power in our lives. For some of us it might be the star on the side of a football helment which we will be watching later today! The Dallas Cowboys! What power is in that star...a new mega-stadium, a team that will have two huge cities talking for the rest of the week!

Maybe the star power in our lives may come from human stars. How many people I have spoken with the past month, sharing their disappointment in Tiger Woods...again the power of a star.

Or maybe the star power in our lives may come from the more subtle stars that lie within, that we worship...i.e. perfectionism, materialism, individualism.

Today's feast reminds us that stars are good, they lead us, draw us out of ourselves and attract us. But we need to be aware of how they do this. We need WISDOM, the wisdom of the wise men...to worship not the star but the one who created them, and who created us. Jesus...the one whom we worhsip, the one we live for and die for and spend our lives for. Jesus, the one who rises above every star!

My friends, this week, let us do 3 things....#1) let us Thank God for the stars in our lives, what gifts they are that we have been given! #2) Let us be aware of what these stars are and how they draw us, i.e. their power over us. #3) Let us worship the one who created all of them. In this way our lives will be different, we will possess the wisdom of the Wise Men. Our week will be different, our lives will be different and like the wise men, we will find the fulfillment that truly satisfies. We will find Jesus, our all in all.

Mary, the Gift of God's Love.

2010-01-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2010
Mary, Mother of God

With one stroke of a second hand, we began a new year, a new day, a new decade, early this morning. Perhaps you saw it.

As a Church, of course, we recognize this new year, we have new calendars for you all today, we wish you a blessed year, and in the readings today we hear words of blessing. But we recogize too that we celebrate this day, in the context of Christmas, which reminds us that there is something far greater, far new-er, than a new year or decade which we celebrate.

Indeed, there is Jesus, Baby Jesus who is still new, still a new born, just one week old this day, still in need of love, still inviting us to be with him, to be like him, to be Love.

Now, if we are to accept this invitation, if we are to love Jesus, it takes both grace and guts. It takes grace and decision. Following Jesus is not like a New Year's Resolution that we make and break. It is a relationship...and if we want this relationship to be real, if we want it to grow and flourish, we need Mary.

Mary is the first one to follow Jesus. She is the one who spent the most time with him, who knows him best. She taught him how to walk, eat, grow and love. And she can teach us the same thing....so that Jesus may truly grow within us, and we may grow in Him.

And so, as we begin this New Year, we do so realizing that just as there is nothing about the passing of time, there is nothing magic about our faith. It comes down to love...it comes down to choosing to love the one who is now with us, Jesus.

On this first day of the year, let us do just that with Mary. Let us get to know Mary, who will help us to love and grow in love with Jesus. In this way, our relationship with Jesus will in fact grow and flourish throuhgout the year. Let us praise God for Mary!

We are connected!

2009-11-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

All Saints Day

Each and every Sunday we have the profound privlege to profess our Catholic Faith, a faith that has been passed down thru the centuries, a faith for which countless men and women martyrs have died, a faith which has tremendous power to save.
What a treasure, what a gift to profess this faith!

Today, on All Saints Day, it seems as though the beauty of our faith shines all the more brightly as we recall the memory of those who have professed this faith. People like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Kathrine Drexel, Francis of Assisi to name just a few. All of whom have professed this one same faith.

Today, we not only remember these people, as we remember George Washington on President's Day, But we remember that we are united with them. United in faith, sacrament and life. We share the life of the saints, we are indeed united and in communion with them. So much so that we can become like them. Today, we celebrate this communion with our brother and sister, saints.

We get an inkling as to what this means from the first reading today. St. John in Revelation tells us that he saw a countless throng of people, whose robes had been washed in the blood of the lamb. And then, in his letter, he reminds us that we share this communion. He reminds us that we are God's Children, and while the world does not recognize us, it is who we are. We must recongize who we are, and in so doing, we will be blessed.

How do we keep this in mind? I very practical way, may come from a secular image, that of a VERIZON commercial. Perhaps you know the one that I mean, that which shows that we are connected. That we have a network behind us, that we are never alone. Perhaps this can encourage us, to be who we are, together with those who have gone before.

My friends let us give thanks to the Lord, for all he has done and for the gift to be part of this great Communion!

FROM "not good" to VERY GOOD

2009-10-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

There is something very interesting stated in the First Reading today.
Here in this 2nd Chapter of Genesis, we find our Lord, creating the world...He has declared so many things good, indeed everthing is good that God creates. But then suddenly, we hear these surprising words...."it is not good"...what is not good?? God declares, "It is not good for man to be alone." Isn't that interesting??? God recognizes our loneliness and he calls it by its name, i.e. "not good". And then, not only does he create a solution for man's loneliness, but he creates a salvation. i.e. Woman. For now, for the first time Love is introduced into the world that God has created, and with that, there is indeed a goodness.

If we fast forward to the Gospel for today, we find the Pharisees. And they are looking for love. They come to the Lord with a question about marriage and divorce. And notice well, that the Lord takes them back to the beginning. He reminds them that we are made not for divorce, not to live life on our own terms, but to be in right order, right relationship. We are made for Love.

My friends, the question of the Pharisees is alive today as ever, although today the questions are not so much about divorce but about same-sex marriage and the like. All of which proves that we are still hungry for love. There is still in creation, a restlessness, something that is not good. Our hearts are still hungry.

And so, we turn to the Lord. For Jesus Himself, sees our need. In fact, he experiences it...for Jeus himself became like us, like us in all things but sin. He knows then what it is like to be lonely, to be hungry, to be in need of love. And because he is God, this brings to each and every one of us, to each and every hunger that we might experience, a profound hope. That is, that God experiences, and knows our needs.

My friends, as we consider this Good News, let us allow our Lord to provide for our many hungers. Let us seek his presence in our lives and come to know that which is very good...the life of Christ, active and alive within each one of us.

The Child Leads the Way

2009-09-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2009
Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year B

Three weeks into the new school year, I suppose that the tests, quizzes and papers are already approaching and being given. The teaching has begun and hopefully with it the learning. We shall see. Today, we see how much learning is happening with the disciples and our Lord. And sadly, it's been a tough go at it so far.

Always the teacher, Our Lord is finding that the disciples are having a hard time learning, the toughest lesson of all, the lesson of the cross. You'll remember last week, our Lord began the lesson by announcing to his disciples that He must suffer and die. The response from the disciples was one of "charitable" non-acceptance. "No, Lord, we will never let that happen to you." And our Lord's response, "Get behind me Satan, you are thinking as human beings think, not as God thinks." Plain and simple, they did not accept his word.

So we find our Lord, trying to teach them the lesson again this week. He talks to them further about his mission and that he must suffer and die. The response this week?? Well, St. Mark tells us that they did not understand and that they were afraid to ask Him questions. And upon questioning from our Lord, they are silent...Students who just don't understand the lesson.

Does this remind you of anything? Perhaps a classroom scene...where the students are just not getting the message?? Jesus may not have the disciples in a classroom, but no doubt he is trying to communicate an important lesson about the cross. And we hear silence, we find fear, we find a lack of understanding.

So then, we see Our Lord offer a perfect remedy for all of this lack of acceptance, namely, a child. We are told that he places a child in their midst and tells them that they must be the servant, they must be as the child, little, unafraid, listening and attentive...if they are to understand the lesson of the cross...for the child will accept the message, and we must follow the little one's lead.

My friends, what a gift this is to us. We who experience the cross daily, we who know what it's like to face the jealousies, wars, conflicts that St. James speaks of. Jesus gives us the remedy, it's being the child...welcoming the child, receiving the child who is in our midst. It is the child who understands and accepts the cross. It is the child who leads the way.

This week, as we face the trials and crosses of daily life and of our own lives, let us remember that we are children, God's children. And in being his children, we will not be overcome by the complexities of the cross. We will possess everything that we need. We will turn to our Lord and find in him the guidance and everything that we need. It's as simple as being a child.

There is Something About That Name

2009-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Homily For the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
Delivered September 12, 2009, for The Kings Men,
a Men's Group, www.thekingsmen.us

Praise God, it is good to be with you here today. We all know the value of our name, for men, our name carries a lot of weight. It is something that we pass on, something we defend, protect and share with our sons. Of course, our real hope is to have not just a name, but a good name. What a tremendous gift, to have a good name. For in the turmoils of life, a good name is a security, a comfort and a worthy goal to have.

There is of course, no better name than the name of Jesus, Savior. There is power, salvation, healing, grace and strength in his name. Today, the Church calls to mind the name of the woman who brought HIm into the world and salutes her name, Mary. Mary's name is holy because she is holy, full of grace, the immaculate one whose fruit is Jesus. The Gospel today, speaks to us of bearing good fruit, well, how beautiful a gift, to have born Jesus, as the fruit of one's womb.

As men, Mary can teach us valuable lesson about bearing fruit. For as men, we like to produce, to make a mark, to make a difference to strive for greatness, leave a legacy, we might do this through our name, but it is Mary who shows us how to bear fruit that endures. And in a nutshell, we bear lasting fruit to the extent that we allow ourselves to be conquered by God.

St. Paul is a great example of this, He did many manly, heroic things, but it all flowed out of his being CONQUERED BY GOD. In the reading today, he identifies himself as being the worst of sinners, and he identifes Jesus as being the savior of sinners. Thus, by definition, Paul is the very target for person of Jesus Christ. And Paul, recognizing himself as such, allows the "arrow" of Christ Himself, to hit him, to conquer him, and to transform him. This is the source then of Paul's greatness...it is Christ's greatness within, that exudes from Paul's being. And paul becomes a living testimony of Almighty God.

My friends, there is a valuable lesson here for us. We become real men, fruitful men, enduring men to the extent that Christ is the Man of our lives. So, yes, we will face battles, trials, fears, storms and floods, but Christ in me is conquering them.

One final point. The Gospel today says, "a good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good." Isn't that interesting? We produce good not out of sheer will power, but out of the store of Goodness. Let us then ask the Lord to stock the shelves of our heart with virtue. Then, like Mary, we too will be full of grace, love, peace and power.
AMEN.

Making History this Week

2009-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year B. September 6, 2009

With the Holiday Weekend upon us, it's fitting for us to call to mind some dates in our history this weekend. In fact, this week is a rather historic week, as we remember the events of September 11, 2001, 8 years ago. There are two other bits of history as well that come to mind at this time...

1)It was twenty years ago this Fall, that the Berlin Wall came crumbling down. That symbol and reality of separation and communism, finally came down, a memorable date indeed...20 years ago.

2) Another date of history was marked just yesterday. 12 years ago yesterday, September 5, 1997...Mother Teresa of Calcutta passed away.

Theese 2 particular bits of history came to mind as I read theese readings for this weekend. For our readings speak to us of openness, healing, of showing no partiality, no fear whatsoever. And it is clear from the Gospel that it is only our Lord who can do such opening, openning of our senses, openning of our minds allowing the walls come down from within us...straightening our sight, healing our speach impediments and bringing healing to us all.

The example of Mother Teresa and the words of St. Paul, who commands us today to show no partiality, certainly convict us of our need for healing, and we pray for such grace, such openness which is only found in Christ.

My friends, as we celebrate this Labor Day this weekend, we call to mind that it is the Labor of the Lord that we must be about as Christians. And as Mother Teresa said, it is His labor that we must allow for in our lives. Mother Teresa said, that the Christian is the one who gives Christ permission in his/her life. Gives God permission to do the work of God, to love, to take over, to straighten our thoughts out, to see thru our eyes to hear with our ears, to love. This love of God, which we give permission for, will indeed tear down walls in our hearts, it will indeed help us to see and to love and will transform our lives.

As schools open this week, let us pray that our hearts, minds, eyes and ears will be openned as well, by the power of God. Let's make some history of our own and know that history will be made as we allow the Lord to work in us.

To close out this homily, I'd like to leave you with some simple quotes/words of Mother Teresa....who lived the call of this Gospel...and whose witness can spur us on, to do the same.

Mother Teresa said...

"It is not how much you do but how much love you put into the doing and sharing with others that is important. Try not to judge people. If you judge others, then you are not giving love."

"We must grow in love and to do this we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts ---the way Jesus did. You must give what will cost you something. Then your gift becomes a sacrifice, which will have value before God. Any sacrifice is useful if it is done out of love.

This giving until it hurts--this sacrifice--is also what I call love in action. Every day I see this love--in children, men and women."

Lord, may your Love be in action in me this week, AMEN.

Grounded and Moving

2009-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Homily for Saturday of the Twenty Second Week of Ordinary Time
1st Saturday Pro-Life Mass

An awful lot can happen in the course of just one week's time. This past week was no different, from Church circles to political circles to family circles, a lot happens in just one week.

The same could be said of Jesus' time and there is ample evidence for that in the Gospels that have been offered to us this week.

This week, we've been following Jesus in St. Luke's Gospel, from the beginning of his public ministry in Nazareth (Luke 4) to today's Gospel in Luke 6. Jesus is clearly on the move and so too are the hearts of those who encounter him. This week, Jesus has been greeted with amazement, wonder and faith, but also with contempt, offence and hostility. A lot is happening in just 2 chapters.

Of course, that is no surprise, for when the Lord is present, there is always a lot happening, for the presence of the Lord always evokes a movement.

St. Paul, speaks of this movement and what type of movement should be happening in the life of Jesus' disciples. He tells us that the presence of Christ has moved us from alienated and hostile minds to holiness without blemish, irreproachable before our God and Father, living witnesses of Jesus Christ. I suppose that you and I find ourselves somewhere in the middle of this movement, if you're anything like me, you still have a ways to go.

But no fear, for St. Paul, thanks be to God, outlines the way for us. He says, we must persevere in faith, be firmly grounded and stable, not shifting from the Hope of the Gospel. And in theese words, the irony of the Christian life is revealed. Namely that thru, stable grounding, we are moved! Moved in deeper faith, hope and love in Jesus our Lord!

My friends, there is nothing more grounded, more moving than the cross of Jesus. And it is before that cross, on that cross, and thru that cross that we are moved, we are transformed, we become true witness of the Gospel.

All of us today will experience that cross of the Lord, in some way, shape or form. Make no mistake, we will encounter the cross. It may be at home, with our families, in our own hearts, temptation, or surroundings. A number of us will encounter it as we stand before the Planned Parenthood, abortion clinic. There in a most tangible and palpable way, we will encounter the cross and we will be moved.

For me, when praying in front of an abortion clinic, I'm often moved to throw-up, moved to cry, moved to anger, moved to confusion and moved to experience at times the seeming impotence of faith, hope and love. All right there in front of the cross. And yet, it is precisely there, in contemplating that reality of the Cross, in experiencing that modern day Calvary Evil, that we must allow the movements within to activate the power of good, to activate a deeper faith, hope and love, theese transforming Gifts of God thru which we become witnesses for the world.

Such a powerful, grounded witness of faith, hope and love can and does change the world. And it is this witness which is needed most today. Togethere then, we pray, Lord, make me a witness of the Gospel, grounded in hope, grounded by the cross of Jesus. Make me a witness like Mary, a peaceful, powerful witness of the Gospel. Jesus help me to be your living witness today.

From Managers to Producers

2009-08-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

It is estimated that in the course of just one day, the average human being receives over a thousand images, words and ideas, all in just one day. From the moment we wake up to the moment we shut our eyes so much comes at us each day, so much that we perceive. As a result, we spend much of our lives responding, reacting, dealing with what comes at us, from the outside.

We are managers, managing the variables of life, family, work, finances, etc. Thanks be to God, life is not just one way; there's more to life than what comes at us from the outside. Life is really a two way street and while that may seem far more complicated, it is indeed Good News, Hopeful News. News that demands our attention.

For you see, Life is more than what comes at us. Life also includes what comes forth from us, and what a wonderful difference that makes, what a wonderful difference our choices, our actions can make on our lives and the lives of others.

While it is true that we may spend much time managing life, we are not just managers, we are called to be producers. Today, we are invited to consider: What is my life producing? What's coming forth from my life? What's the tone, the fruit, the quality of love coming forth from my life? Did you ever ask yourself that question? It's worthy of some thought.

Our readings today offer us hope. We are reminded that Yes, we are good, the Lord has chosen us, he loved us. There is in human nature, an innate goodness in us, we are a fertile field. And we are called to bear fruit. We are called not to subtract from or add to God's law, just receive the gift of His Law, His Word. No need for managing or manipulation, only reception.

St. Paul tells us, "Humbly welcome the Word that has been planted within you and it's power to save your souls." God's Word has power, we must not stifle it. Thus, we are called to welcome the word of God and then the fruit will come.

At times in today's world, we are tempted to focus on all the problems that are outside of us, and that in itself is a problem. We must therefore, cultivate the goodness that lies within us.

Allow me to offer you the following reflection, and let us ask ourselves this week, what is the garden of my life producing? In the garden of happiness, we must:

First Plant Five rows of peas:

Prayer, Perseverance, Politeness, Promptness, Purity

Next plant three rows of squash:

Squash gossip, Squash criticism, Squash indifference

Then Five Rows of Lettuce:

Let us be faithful to duty
Let us be unselfish
Let us be truthful
Let us follow Christ
Let us love one another

No Garden is Complete Without Turnips:

Turn up for Church
Turn up with a smile
Turn up with new ideas
Turn up with determination to make everything count for something good and worthwhile.

Let's plant well, and allow the gifts that lie within each one of us to come forth and bear abundant fruit.

Growing into a Christian Man

2009-08-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

A great video...Be Inspired to Live Greatness...

Point of Decision

2009-08-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2009
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

With the passage of mid August, the time of year is shifting. School days are approaching and it's time for new things: New shoes, pencils, pens and paper. This is always an exciting time of year for parents and teachers and yes, even for some students. There comes a time, when even students know, It's Time...Time to move on to another year.

We find similar times in our readings today. In our first reading, we find ourselves in the last chapter of Joshua. You will remember that Joshua was the leader of the Jewish people after Moses died. And we see in this last chapter, Joshua's final address to his people. They've finally arrived in the Promised land and now it is time for them to renew their faith, renew their covenant with the Lord. Joshua proclaims to the people, "Decide today whom you will serve, the gods of the people around us, or the Lord God." Joshua declares to the people, "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." A point of decision, indeed.

We see a similar scene in the Gospel. Having followed the Bread of Life Discourse for the past 4 weeks, we finally arrive to the last section. As we see, the people are still murmuring! They've been murmuring throughout the chapter and the end is no different. "This is a hard teaching", they say. But notice carefully our Lord. He stands firm, he does not give in to the mumuring crowd. And in one of the saddest lines of all the Scripture, we read..."As a result of this (teaching), many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him." That is quite a line and it's interesting to note it's citation, John 6,66. Isn't that interesting??

Then our Lord, turns to the 12. "Do you also want to leave?" What a demonstration of freedom. It's a point of decision for them too. Thank God for Simon Peter. He says, so honestly, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

My friends, where are we in our walk with the Lord, in our faith in Jesus Christ. Certainly, we are all walking with Him, we're in church today. But now is the time, this is the time of year, a wonderful time to believe again in Jesus and to accept again His saving power. To renounce evil, to embrace life! We do this for yourselves, for our households, for others. For without this choice, our lives lack so much power and life.

One of the hot items right now in stores and in our homes are HDTVs. Really, a great thing. Well, did you ever wonder how good it would be to have a high defined life? An HD Life of faith, hope, love, centered on God and family!!!

Now's the time, for us to go for it. To come to believe and to be convinced in the love of Jesus our Lord. Let us serve him faithful for he has served us so...

Such faithfulness demands, Daily Prayer, prayer with family, monthly confession, and daily decision for Jesus.

So let us reach our decision and in so doing, we'll be living in high definition, living in love, in the Lord.

Divine Transplantation

2009-08-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

I hope that by this time of summer, you have had an opportunity to get away and rest a while, how important it is that we do so, and give a rest to theese hearts of ours. This week, I read an article about a group of people who are finding not only a restful heart but a new heart quite literally. I read a story about heart transplantation. An amazing story of people right here in Philadelphia who are awaitng and receiving new hearts. It's a story of life and death, of waiting and patience, of science and doctors, sick people and generous givers...all coming together in a remarkable way, to provide new life, new hearts for needy people. One hospital in our area averages 40 new hearts a year, almost once a week...amazing stuff!

Such a miracle fits well into our Gospel this week, as we move into the heart of John 6, Jesus teaching on the Bread of Life. For 3 weeks now, we've been reading along in this 6th chapter of John's Gospel. We've seen the miracle of the loaves and fish, the crowds following the Lord here and there, like sheep without a shepherd. And now today, we see our Lord getting to the heart of the matter, and teaching quite clearly about what exactly He provides for his people, in short, He provides Himself.

We hear the Lord proclaim today, "I am the bread of life. The bread that came down from heaven, whoever eats this bread will live forever." Unlike your ancestors who ate manna and died, those who eat this bread will live forever.

At this, we hear the crowds "murmur". Who is He? Where is he from? Is he not from Nazareth? And yet, amidst the murmuring his teaching could not be more clear. In short, Jesus is proclaiming today that he is Our Life, Our Salvation. The living bread without which we have no life. And this is the very heart of the matter. Jesus is providing Himself to us, to feed and eat of Him.

How mysterious and refreshing are theese words. You see, all of us my friends, have been born with a heart defect, it's called sin. And we stand in need of a remedy, we stand in need of a "new heart", a heart transplantation of sorts. We stand in need of a heart that will never stop beating, a perfect heart, a pure heart, a Sacred heart, Jesus' heart!

And the Lord Jesus provides. "I am the living bread, the bread of life, eat and drink of me and never die."

St. Paul tells us today, remove from your hearts all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling. In place, be kind, be compassionate, forgiving, be imitators of God. Be with the Lord.

You see my friends, this teaching of Jesus is an amazing gift. And what he provides for us each day is even more amazing, i.e. HIMSELF, in the Eucharist. It is far more remarkable than what happens in our local hospitals, but no less real. Our Lord is giving us new hearts, his heart.

How much we need the Heart of Jesus, to heal us, to save us, to restore us. This week, let us make a conscious choice to bring our hearts to him. Let us come to Jesus with all our hearts. With all the heart murmurs that we have, all the heart burn, all the heart aches and heart attacks, all the clogs and blockages. And he will give to us His heart. And make our hearts like His. This is what He offers to us, this is what Jesus gives. How blessed we are to receive. Lord Jesus, I give you my heart, help me to receive all the love and life that flows from yours.

REMEDY FOR HUNGER PAINS

2009-08-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, IKEA Furniture Company ran a commercial that was quite clever. The viewer saw a kitchen cabinet door that was opening and closing back and forth, over and over again. And in the background, one could hear a child's voice saying, "Mom, can I have a cookie?, Mom, can I have a cookie?". Over and over again, the question sounded and with it, the door opened and closed. Thus, trying the patience of a mom, but proving the endurance of IKEA cabinet furniture! Indeed, the point was made: IKEA furniture endures.

We know that in real life, hunger endures as well. Like a repeating record, how often, we get hungry and hungry over and over again. At times, we may call out for cookies, but our hungers take many and varied shapes and sizes, throughout the course of our lives and it seems whether we are young or old, our hungers know no lasting peace.

Of course, this reality is nothing new; this is not particular just to us. We have proof of that in today's readings. In Exodus, we hear the moans and groans of the people, 600,000 of them not including children. Crying out to poor Moses, saying that they would rather be slaves in Egypt and have full stomachs, than be free and hungry in the desert. How sad! And in the Gospel, we hear the hunger refrain continuing, with the crowd of people following the Lord. The Good News is that they are following Jesus, the sad news is that they are following him not because of faith, but because of hunger. Having eaten the loaves and fish, they hunger again...and they are still searching for more.

And so the Lord provides. But notice well, how he provides for them, and what he is providing. He provides not by feeding them more food, but rather by inviting them to a radical faith, faith in him. We get a foretaste of this in the First Reading. In the Old Testament, notice that the Lord provides not just the manna, but instruction as well. They were to collect the manna, day-by-day. No hording, no storing, but rather daily collecting, thus demanding faith, faith in the providence of God, that he will provide the manna for tomorrow. The lesson and the gift here is not just manna but the invitation to faith and obedience to the Lord who provides.

In the New Testament, we see something similar. The people say, "Sir, give us this bread always, so that we never hunger." And Jesus says, "I am the Bread of Life, whoever, comes to me will never hunger, whoever believes in me will never thirst." Notice well, the instruction. To "come" and then "to believe". This, my friends, is the way the Lord provides, for the hungers of the crowd. You see it's not just a matter of following Jesus, of witnessing miracles, or eating multiplied bread. It's a matter of obedience, coming and believing in the Lord and only in this way, will our hearts be satisfied.

Friends, is this not true of our lives, as well? Is it not true that the only rememdy for our hungers is love?? And that Love can make all the difference in life? And that is what the Lord is inviting us to...namely Love.

In our relationship with Jesus, our coming to Church, are we aware of Love. Where is the Love in our relationship with the Lord? Do we have a love relationship with the Lord, or is our relationship with the Lord driven by our hungers. Does our prayer sound like love, or like a broken record/IKEA commerical, "Jesus, can I have a ....?" We are challenged today to seek the Jesus and his enduring love.

Our presence here today should be a sign of love, a sign of our obedience, our duty to love the Lord. We give him this time, we "come to Him", we "profess our faith" in Him and he gives us HIMSELF. What a tremendous gift. This is what the Eucharist is all about. And this is what the Eucharist brings forth, i.e. Love.

My friends, this is why I am a Catholic Priest, not to serve bread on Sundays, for mere unleavened bread does not satisfy. Rather, I am a priest in order to bring forth the love of Jesus to the world. And His love alone can satisfy. For God is Love. And so, we are invited as the crowd is invited today, to love Jesus. To come to him, to believe in him. And in doing this, we find that our hungers are satisfied, that we have our daily bread, that our God is a faithful God. How wonderful, to know and love Jesus with all our hungers and desires! Let us, then, allow that love to lead us, to guide us, and to provide for us. He will, He really will!

Year of the Priest: Homilies

2009-07-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you! I always want to post more on this blog and wish at times that every priestly experience and encounter that I have, could suddenly appear in print on this Blog. But until that can happen, you just need to trust me and believe How wonderful is the Gift of the Priesthood! It truly is a Life Worth Living, A Call Worth Considering.

In an effort to share more of my priesthood thru this blog, I'm going to attempt to share my Sunday Homilies during this Year of the Priest. I hope they are a blessing to those patient enough to read them.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, B.
Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fish.

Of all the various reality T.V. Shows out there today, one of the Original's is America's Funniest Videos. Some of the videos submited to the show are obviously contrived/staged. Others are dangerous and downright stupid. But occassionally, one can find one that really is funny. A real life, life as it is moment...unscripted, unexpected and un-edited.

In some way, I think we have one such moment in today's Gospel and as familiaras we may be with this story, of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, it's worth taking a second look.

We see today, a huge crowd following Jesus because He has cured the sick. It must have been cool to follow Jesus up to this point. To be part of that 5,000 member crowd, following him up the mountain, a modern-day parade of sorts! But suddenly Jesus raises the question of food, and like a rain-cloud, panic sets in with the apostles. Jesus is asking them how to feed the 5,000!

Philip says, "not even 200 days wages would be enough for all to have a little"
Andrew points out a young boy who has "5 barely loaves and a few fish." And Jesus smiles as he listens to their bright ideas.

Of course, Jesus has another idea and we see that he is using this opportunity to teach his friends a valuable lesson. You see Jesus raises the "food question" cause he knows exactly what he is going to do. St. John tells us just that. Jesus had a plan. What was that plan? To Provide for them. Namely, to tell the people to recline, as he gave thanks and distributed what they had. As we see, Jesus PROVIDED for the people.

He provides not just fish and bread but he provides Himself, as an example and as Provider. And he invites His followers, to climb the mountain with him, to pass-over the old way of thinking, and to radically rely on Him, as Provider. To be Generous in Faith, Hope and Love.

We hear similar lessons in the First Reading and Psalm, as well, that yes, the hand of the Lord feeds us, and gives us all we need.

Friends, in some ways, we can appreciate the difficulty of this scene. While we might not be faced with feeding 5,000 this week, sometimes it can be tough even to feed the 5 that are at our table. The LACKS that we find in the world, (lack of resources, talent, money) or in ourselves can create a panicky situations. And all of us know what they are, situations that are out of our contraol, desert situations, "steep climb" situations. But the Gospel reminds us that the Lord is there. And we need to keep on following Him, keep on turning to the Lord, with all we have and see what he does. St. Paul urges the Ephesians of yesterday to do just that, and we the people of today need to do the same, namely to live in a manner worthy of the call we have received. i.e. to stick with Jesus.

As we do so, He will provide. We will find ourselves becoming more and more confident in Him, relying on Him more and more, becoming more and more like Jesus.

Like a good episode of America's Funniest Videos, in so many ways, our lives are unscripted. But we can always choose Jesus. And in choosing Him, we will have all we need. Let's make HIS Life our own, this week, and see what miracles can happen.

The service of priests

2009-07-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

First, I hope everybody had a nice Independence Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. May we always give thanks to God for the gift of our freedom.

In this year of the priest, which Pope Benedict XVI announced would begin three weeks ago, we pause to reflect on the service aspect of the priesthood. Every priest looks to Christ as their model for priesthood, and all things that the priest does should be Christ-like. Christ Himself said that he came to serve, not to be served. Christ shows us the way of self-emptying (kenosis in Greek), where we are supposed to empty ourselves for the sake of those you serve. For the priest, the first service aspect is the self emptying of the priest of a sacramental nature. He is called to say Mass for the people of God, he is called to hear confessions, and to go on communion calls, to give anointing of the sick. He is called, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, where he could be at the beach relaxing, to celebrate and witness a wedding. The priest is supposed to be in service to his people, bringing Christ to people in the sacraments.

The sacraments are the greatest service that the priest can give. Only the priest can bring us the Eucharist, only the priest can hear our sins and absolve us of the worst sins possible and immaginable. It is the priest who brings the soul home to God through annointing of the sick. What a great service the priest gives us, every Sunday, when he celebrates Mass! What a great service when confession is heard. The priest is leading his flock on and along the way to holiness. The priest is the shepherd of souls, and he does just that when he celebrates the sacraments.

The priest is called to be the good samaritan, spiritually guiding people along the path of holiness. When we look at the people of God, we can see a wide spectrum. We can see people who seem to have lost their way. We can see people who are faithful daily Mass participants. We can see everybody. The hard job of the priest is to shepherd everybody. If he shepherd just one group and gets comfortable with just one group, he ignores another group of people. The priest is supposed to be all things to all people. The good samaritan picked up the man at the greatest hour of need, and guided him back to health. The priest is supposed to seek out those who hit rock bottom spiritually, and guide them back to life in the spirit. In short, the priest has a hard job, and often, it is a thankless job.

As a people of God, I think, in general, we truly appreciate the role of the priest, and what the priest does. We may criticize him, we may poke fun of an accent, or we may say his homily was only average. Do we hear the priest paking fun of you, or saying that your prayer is only average? We don't hear that, so it is a temptation we must avoid to criticize priests in a malicious way. At the same time, it can be a great affection to have priests poked fun of. If people do that, they probably really like the priest, and he is someone they admire. One example of this is when I was in college, the chaplain of my school had a very hearty laugh, and a very deep laugh. He was a very well loved priest, and he was very popular. As a result, people would try to imitate the laugh.

But, in short, the job is often thankless. How often do we thank the priest for his ministry after we go to confession? How often do we send him a thank you note for celebrating Mass? The priest probably isn't looking for thanks; if he is, he needs to evaluate that. At the same time, it still feels good to get a thank you every now and then. And not just a quick "thanks", but look in his eyes, and say "I really want to thank you for..., and I really appreciate your service to the Church."

For any priest who is reading this, I sincerely want to thank you for your faith and fidelity to the Church, and I want to thank you for your service and ministry. Your service to the Church is indispensable to the mission of the Church.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. St. John Marie Vianney, pray for us.

Cure D'Ars: Model Priest

2009-06-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

I found this article from Zenit on St. John Vianney, the patron saint of Diocesan Priests. This year, in the Year of the Priest, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI will declare St. John Vianney patron saint of all priests.

Click here to read the article.

St. John Vianney once said that the priesthood "is the love of the heart of Jesus". This heart of Jesus, His Sacred Heart, was punctured when Jesus was on the cross, and from it poured forth water and blood. The Church was founded from the side of Christ, since from that thrust came forth the healing waters of the sacraments (Baptism, and the Eucharist). For the Eucharist, it is the priest which offers every day, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the same sacrifice and action as Jesus on the cross. So it is here that the priest is the love of the heart of Jesus, since it is from the Sacred Heart of Christ that the salvific powers of the Eucharist flow. Priests continue to reside in His Sacred Heart, and every time Mass is offered, that same salvific power flows outward in the Eucharist.

During the year of the priest, this blog will be used to update people on activities of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia of the different programs and activities of this office, the Vocation Office, as well as the Archdiocese as a whole. May you be blessed abundantly in this year of the priest, and through the intercession of St. John Vianney, may you come to a deeper realization of the vocation God has given you, whatever it may be.

May you reside in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

BBVC

2009-06-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Dear friends in Christ,

This past week, the Vocation Office hosted its third annual Brothers of Borromeo Vocation Congress for junior high boys. It was a tremendous success, as we had over 115 boys come out for the event. The day started with icebreakers, and then Mass with Bishop Thomas. The day also consisted of a scavenger hunt around the seminary, shield making, rosary making, and confessions.

The theme of the day was "Put on...the helmet of hope", in the first letter to the Thessalonians. For Jesus Christ is our hope. In Jesus Christ, all things will be restored. People can put hope in earthly, or man made things, but in the end, it is Jesus Christ who we must look to. If we have hope for anything, the foundation of that hope is in Jesus, even if you don't realize it. We can have that assurance of hope (which is our faith) because Jesus came, and said "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel." This believing is something we do in Jesus Christ. Every Sunday at Mass, the faithful recited the Nicene Creed, which starts "We believe", so we make a public testament to the faith which we believe. So the helmet of hope is really Jesus Christ; when we take him with us in our everyday lives and struggles, He is like a helmet, ready to protect us from enemies, and Jesus will never fail. Trust in Jesus, and everything else in your life will fall into place.

Please pray that the young men at BBVC last week will follow the will of God in all that they do.

Pray, hope, and do not worry. -St. Padre Pio

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May God reward you abundantly.

PRIESTS OF JESUS CHRIST

2009-05-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Church in Philadelphia is rejoicing in theese days as we celebrate the
ordination of 6 New Priests. What a magnificent ceremony on Saturday as our
seminarians became Catholic Priests. Many witnessed this wonderful sacrament, including family, friends and brother priests. Also present at the Mass were many young men who may be considering the priesthood. For all who witnessed the ordination, truly it was a day of blessing. I share with you below an article written by a young man present for the ordination, Mr. Kyle Tompson. The article is a commentary on last year's ordination, but nevertheless, is a fitting tribute for such a beautiful weekend. ENJOY!

The Deacon’s New Clothes
A commentary on Ordination weekend
By Kyle Thompson

On Saturday May 17th I attended the Ordination of three priests for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Two things made this experience very special to me; this was my first time attending Ordination, and my friend Brian Kean was ordained a priest that day.

I didn’t know what to expect other than the normal Mass, of which I am very familiar. I had a hard time identifying when the sacrament occurred. So, who better to ask than our own Father Oswald? He informed me than the sacrament takes place when the Cardinal lays hands onto the ordinand. The most visible sign to us average folk was when the stole around Brian’s neck was changed from Deacon wear to Priestly wear.

My favorite moment of Ordination occurred when Monsignor Miller, Brian’s former pastor and close friend, and a priest that I have the utmost respect and admiration for, vested Brian in his priestly garb. Words could not describe how amazing this moment was to me, and how it was to them. It was as if I was watching a legacy being handed down, from Father to Son. This served as a revelation to me that the priesthood is not something distant and isolated, it’s a brotherhood. Father Kean spoke of that same legacy when he thanked Monsignor for giving him his ordination chalice from forty years ago.

I ran into Father Kean a week after ordination, I asked him “How does it feel to have reached the priesthood?” He told me this “It felt surreal; it’s been a long eight year journey. Arriving at the priesthood has been something I’ve prayed for to come for many years. It is a culmination of many prayers and dreams, which has been sustained by God’s grace, and the prayers of many people whom God has used as instruments to achieve His Will in my life.”

I have learned a couple things this weekend. I have known Father Kean for several years now. I was fascinated by his journey, and his joy. I’ve come to learn and appreciate that his joy is founded in doing God’s will. It has given me a new perspective and respect for the priesthood. I don’t know God’s will for me in my life yet, but I do know if my journey includes prayer, commitment, and the love and support of my family and friends I too can know the peace and joy of doing His Will in my life.

Fr. Neuhaus on the courage to decide

2009-04-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Being New Dough

2009-04-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday, the day which we celebrate the fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery by the rising of Christ from the dead for the salvation of the world, Pope Benedict XVI, in his Easter homily, called on the Christian people to be new dough and to remove from their hearts the "yeast of old sin".

To read Pope Benedict's homily, click here. Read it with an open heart.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Christ is Risen; indeed, He is truly risen. Alleluia!

Grains of Wheat

2009-03-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

Dear friends in Christ,

This past Sunday we celebrated the fifth Sunday of Lent. Every day now, we are drawing close to Christ's Passion and Death that we remember in the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The next couple of weeks are the holiest weeks of the year, and everybody should try their hardest, cooperating with the grace of God, to enter more fully into the Mystery of Jesus' Passion.

This past Sunday we learned a great lesson through the Gospel. The Gospel reads, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). Why does He say this? First, Jesus is looking towards His own Passion, realizing that He is that wheat which falls to the earth and will die. From the death of the wheat, which is Jesus, much fruit is beared. If a grain of wheat falls to the ground and the roots take hold, at harvest time there will be a wheat stalk, and from that farmers can take that wheat stalk, and many other wheat stalks, and turn it into bread. But from that single seed of wheat, a great stalk springs forth. Many things in nature are like that. If you look at the oak tree, it starts as a nut, but fully actualized, that nut turns into a mighty oak. Jesus himself spoke of a mustard seed, which is very small; however, a fully grown mustard bush is huge. Things in nature start of small, growing quietly into something that will bear much fruit.

Since Jesus refers to the grain of wheat, and since we know that Jesus is talking about Himself, since He is about to undergo His Passion, this reality of Jesus referring to Himself as wheat is a profound testament to the humbleness of Jesus. From the beginning of His earthly life, Jesus exhibited the perfect example of humbleness; he came into the world not with an army of angels, or with trumpet blasts, but born to a virgin in a stable with animals. He prepared for His public ministry not with angels serving Him, but by him going on what can be considered one of the most severe retreat one can go on: going into the desert for forty days and forty nights, fasting and praying. He isn't ministered to by angels, but says that He came not to be served, but to served. His entire life is a life of humble work and ministry. When Jesus refers Himself to wheat, he is making Himself the smallest of things.

However, a grain of wheat will grow and take root, at harvest time there will be a mighty stalk. It will produce much fruit. Like that stalk of wheat, Jesus will also bear much fruit. That fruit, in one way, will be through wheat; in another way, it will be through the cross; but in the end, they are the same way. Let us look at both of these ways, beginning with the latter.

Jesus, in His Passion and Death, will be scourged, whipped, beaten, and dragged through the streets with a giant cross on His back. The only consolations He will receive is when Simon of Cyrene helped Him carry his cross, and when He meets His mother, Mary, along the road. To make it harder for Jesus, is that the weight of the cross isn't just the physical wight, but there is also the weight of sin. The reality is that Jesus not only died for our sins, but he suffered for our sins. When Jesus carried the cross to His death, He also carried the sins that the Pharisees commit, that the Jewish people commit, but also, He carried sins that we commit, and ones that we will commit. He carried with Him every sin that every person in the world commited, commits, or will commit in the future. He is carrying all of this, and He suffers in a very physical way for us. Not only was he physically suffering, but He was also probably mentally suffering; imagine if His mind was racing with images of sins that people would commit, and that through His death, forgiveness can be given to them? He finally gets to the hill, Golgatha, the Hill of Calvary, where He is to hang for three hours until His death. He is nailed to the cross, and He is lifted up high on the cross to be crucified. Like the grain of wheat, which is planted into the ground, the cross is then planted into the ground, and so the cross then is the link between God and man; without it, there is still separation from God and man. The cross is the connecting factor between Jesus and the ground. At the death of Jesus, that cross, which was a machine for the death of Jesus, becomes life saving. Through the cross, Jesus makes holy the ground and all who walk on it. At the moment of His death, He redeems humanity through the cross, which is planted firmly in the ground. So it really is through the cross that Jesus can restore the human condition back to what it was. It is planted in the ground, and so the cross bearing Jesus bears much fruit because of Jesus.

We must go back to the wheat. Unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground it dies... it produces much fruit. Wheat produces bread through a process which is unknown to me, but I know that wheat fields produce bread that I eat at mealtime. Like the cross, which bears much fruit, as we discerned above, the wheat bears much fruit. What does it produce, or a better question: what does Jesus the wheat produce? It says what It produces in John, chapter 6, verses 32-33: "So Jesus said to them, "Amen, Amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Now, what is this bread of God, and how does it relate to grains of wheat? Well, as we have said, grains of wheat are turned into bread, so we see the relationship between the wheat and the bread. But what about the bread of God? First, Jesus said "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst" (John 6:35), and he later says "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" (John 6:51). Jesus is the bread of God, and so the wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and produces much fruit, turns into bread. Since Jesus says that He is the living bread, the bread of life, His origin must be that of wheat, which produces much fruit when it falls to the ground and dies. Jesus is the wheat, and when he dies, He produces much fruit.

On the night before He suffered, Jesus took bread, and gave His Father thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body, which will be given up for you." When Jesus says, "And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world", He is referring to the Last Supper, that bread he gave "is my flesh". This begs the question: "Why did He give it?" And he answers that question when He says "for the life of the world". This bread, which is his flesh, will be given up for the life of the world. This bread has a salvific aspect to it because it is Jesus Himself, because he says that Himself: "And the bread that I will give is my flesh [the verb "is" equates the bread and his flesh; they are the same] for the life of the world [the bread is salvific because it is His flesh]". But it is bread that will be given, because Jesus says "I will give". And not given for mere trivial matters, but for the life of the world, for our lives, for us. This is my body, which will be given up for you. The bread Jesus breaks at the Last Supper is His flesh, which will be given up for you.

So, we look at the cross as saving, and we look at this bread turned into the flesh of Jesus as saving. On the top layer, it looks as though there are two different sacrifices happening; Jesus gives himself as bread, and then later on the cross. But when Jesus says, "This is my body, which will be given up for you", His body will be really given up on the Cross. At the Last Supper, this bread which becomes flesh for the life of the world has yet to be actualized. Jesus doesn't offer two sacrifices, but rather one sacrifice. His body will be given up. The sacrifice Jesus made at the Last Supper is completed on the Cross, and it becomes actualized. This sacrifice is started on the night before He died, and it is completed on Good Friday when He is crucified. It is here that the wheat produces much fruit, that the cross becomes the tree of life, and that the salvation of humanity becomes actualized, all by the one sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Through the cross, which is salvific outside of time, as well as inside, salvation can be given to all who came before, and all who came after. Through the completion of the sacrifice of Christ, the part of the sacrifice which came before (at the Last Supper) is fulfilled into a very real reality: And the bread that I will give [and gave] is my flesh [Jesus Himself] for the life of the world [actualized with the crucifixion of Christ]."

As a result of this, we must read the Last Supper account in a specific hermeneutic. A hermeneutic is a lens through which we read things. We read the Last Supper account through the hermeneutic of the cross and crucifixion of Jesus, and through what the rest of the Gospel says about the Last Supper and the Cross (that of Jesus being wheat, and Jesus being that bread (flesh) which is given for the life of the world). We don't understand the full meaning of the Last Supper without looking to the deeper significance of the bread which Jesus offers, which I hope through this meditation have brought to life. We also don't understand the Last Supper without looking at the Cross, and how the Cross fulfills this Last Supper meal into what it really is: Jesus offering himself in a very literal way for the life of the world. This bread truly turns into the Body of Jesus, the Body of Christ, and it becomes so tranformed that the only thing that remains of the bread is that it looks and tastes like bread. The bread turning into the Body of Christ is the same sacrifice as the Crucifixion and death of Christ; it is that complete, and the completeness of the bread turning into Christ Himself is a mirror image of that. As transforming the Cross of Christ became, going from a symbol of death to a symbol of life, this bread transforms completely from mere food into the ultimate symbol of life: Jesus himself.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May you, during this holy season, seek to draw closer to the crucified Christ, who humbled himself by being obedient unto death, even death on a cross. God bless.

Silent Prayer

2009-03-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

Following the Holy Father's Lenten retreat several weeks ago, he discussed the importance of silent, meditative prayer. Click here to read the article.

The Year of the Priest

2009-03-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

Dear friends in Christ,

Recently, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI declared the Year of the Priest, to begin in June. Click here to read the article.

God bless. May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Pope on his recent retreat

2009-03-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Recently Pope Benedict XVI went on his annual Lenten retreat, which was given by Cardinal Arinze, recently retired Prefect for the Congregation of Divine Worship. Here is the article on it.

Retreats are always an important time to have one on one time with the Lord through prayer and the sacraments. It is a time for us to get away for a while, away from the world, to strengthen that relationship that needs it most, our relationship with God. Try to set a Saturday aside this Lent to have some extra prayer time. Spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, go to Mass, and read Scripture. Meditate on the mysteries of the Cross, and how through it, we can be offered salvation.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Priests in Imitation of Mary

2009-03-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, Pope Benedict XVI had a conference with pastors from around the city of Rome, in which he called on them to imitate the life of Mary. Click here to read it.

Mary is a great example of love and humility. She was one who heard the Word of God in a very literal way, since it was the Word that entered into her. The "Word" (λογος in Greek) is Jesus. At the beginning of the Gospel of John, it reads "In the beginning was the Word" (Εν άρχή ήν ό λογος). It is the Word, Jesus, Who Incarnates Himself into the womb of Mary. This profound event is the Annunciation, which we celebrate on March 25 most years.

Mary is also the woman who listens. She still plays an important role by being the Mother of God. She intercedes for us, and so the prayer we give to her is intercessory. What do you need to pray for? Do you have a sick mother, or are you praying for clarity of vocation? Pray to Mary, and ask her to intercede for you to Jesus.

Her example is also to inspire us. She followed Christ in his ministry, and in our meditations on the life of Christ, part of us should stand back and be observant of what Jesus does, trying to incorporate what he did into our lives, and how what He did can guide us to follow Him closer.
Pray the Rosary. Mary will always be faithful to you, so let her know that you want her to be faithful. She will always pray for you, so ask her to pray for you.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Cross

2009-03-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

In the Season of Lent, we prepare for the death of Jesus that will happen on Good Friday, and we eagerly await the Resurrection of Christ, that we celebrate on Easter. The Cross is the ultimate paradox of the history of the world. On one hand, it is a sign of suffering and sacrifice, a sign of the death of Christ, one that we remember in a literal way at Holy Mass. On the other hand, it is a sign of the salvation of mankind, a sign that because of the sacrifice of Christ on the Hill of Calvary, we have been given salvation for all who accept it.

In this Season, we meditate on this profound mystery: God loves us as much as God is love. Because love is a transcendental of God, not an accident, love is intrinsic to the substance of God; no part of God is not love. Love is not merely a part of God, God is love. Any kind of love we do on earth is in direct imitation to the love that God is, and the love that he pours forth on us. Any kind of sincere love we do on earth is in direct imitation of Him; not only that, but it is because of Him that it is possible to love in the first place. Just like we are made in God's image, part of that image can be the ability to love, because we are imaging God when we love.

Jesus says in the Gospel, There is no greater love than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. Jesus here teaches us something very important about love. Love is more than just a feeling. Equating love with feeling is a common mistake made in modern society; it results in divorces when people lose that feeling of love, precisely because they equate love with feeling. Love is more than a feeling. It is a choice; it is also a sacrifice. Love goes much further than just feeling affectionate. Love is required when the child is sick in the middle of the night, or when a priest gets a sick call at 2 AM. Love is that choice, that sacrifice. In any vocation we are called to enter into, love is a necessary requirement in order to be faithful to that vocation. Love is required even when we don't think we have any more love to give. At this point, this is where the grace of God is most important, since it is through graces received that we can be given the ability to love like God. Love is designed to be sacrificial. The love a husband and wife shares is a sacrificial love, laying down their life for the other. The love a priest has for his people is a sacrificial love, as the priest lays down his life for his flock.

The example we look to, in terms of laying down one's life, for the sake of his friends, is the sacrifice Christ made on Calvary. Jesus laid down His life for His friends, and Jesus seeks friendship with all. He extends a hand of friendship, yet so few reach out to take His hand. Jesus offers himself for the sake of humanity; this is the ultimate expression of love. The Cross is hard, and it shows in a real way the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. But also, the Cross is a symbol of love, since it is through the Cross that we can seek friendship with God, and it is through that Cross that we can seek salvation through God.

What we learn from the Cross is that the way to true love with God and with fellow man is through the Cross, and it is through suffering that we come to love. It is easy to love when there is little sacrifice. It is hard to love when the suffering and sacrifice is a heavy burden to us, but it is through these moments that we experience the love of the living God. It is through these moments that God pours forth graces upon us. It is through these moments that we become more Christ like. May we always seek the Cross, that great example of love, especially in the Lenten Season, that through the Cross we may become more Christ like.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Papal Message for World Youth Day 2009

2009-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,
I found this translation from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on Youth Day 2009, which is to be celebrated on the Diocesan level on Palm Sunday. Here is the link to that address.

The Holy Father continues to stress the importance of hope, not a false hope in any worldly things, but rather hope in Christ. This theme became poignant when he wrote Spe Salvi, literally, Saved in hope. But he continued this theme at World Youth Day last year, and Hope was the theme of the Holy Father's visit to the United States last year.

In the midst of trouble in our world, with terrorism, the economic situation, and the offenses against human life that happen from the womb until people are old, if you are not grounded in faith of God, then we can lose hope. Our faith perfects the hope we have. There is hope. It may not be in this world, but if we stay hopeful, and we stay faithful, we can be assured that our hope will not be in vain.

We must follow Christ, and we must follow His will for us. God wants us to be joyful, and following Him without hesitation in whatever he asks of us will bring us the most joy. May we always remember that.

God bless. May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Can a priest have tatoos?

2009-02-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Your question about priests with tattoos is interesting. To answer it briefly, a tattoo is not an impediment to the priesthood. A man with a tattoo can become a priest. However, the seminary needs to take note of the nature of the tattoo (i.e. when did the man get it, what does it re-present, and whether the location of the tattoo is an issue, i.e. it would be odd to see a priest with a tattoo on his forearm.) At times, a man may enter the seminary and have a tatto from earlier in his life. Again, this alone would not prevent his entrance or being ordained, but it needs to be considered by the candidate and the Church. Depending on the nature of the tattoo, the Church might ask the man to consider having it removed.
-Fr. Chris Rogers

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving

2009-02-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

We are now on the eve of the Season of Lent, that penitential season where we remember in a unique way the suffering Christ and the sacrifice He gave for the sake of the Church. In the season, we are also asked to take up a form of suffering and sacrifice. These forms of sacrifice are divided into three categories: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

When picking practices for Lent, whether it be giving up chocolate or meat, or praying the Rosary or attending daily Mass, we must remember something very important: Holiness is a process by which, over time, our fortitude to strive for virtue grows stronger by the grace of God. God gives us graces to sanctify us, and through those graces we respond by striving to cooperate with the Will of God and say yes to God. We thank God already for the graces He has given us. He may have blessed us with good health, or with intelligence, or with a dear friend, or with a loving family. Upon reflection of our lives, there is always a grace there we can be thankful for. And if you are hard pressed to find a grace, remember that it is also a real grace to know the Truth of the Gospel, and it is a grace to know the Holy Catholic Church, who is also given graces for the sake of Her members and their salvation. When picking practices for Lent, we must be careful not to take on too much, or nothing will get done. The man who gives up meat, beer, soda, chocolate, and candy when he is not used to giving up anything will probably last about a week, then find himself in a Texas Steak House having a porterhouse steak with a tall beer, and then having chocolate ice cream on the way home. And believe me, I gave up meat, and soda, and a bunch of other things one year, and I lasted until I discovered an Arbys in the next town over. From then it was downhill, and by Easter the things I gave up, I had no longer given up. In short, it is better to give up one or two things and do well, than to give up 7 things and not last.

I wish to first discuss prayer. Prayer is the bedrock of the Church, and prayer is our communication with God. We pray individually, but also in community as our prayers are lifted up to God. In the Season of Lent, we can pray for those suffering, that their sufferings and sacrifices can be lifted up to God. We all live in the shadow of the cross, as it is our sufferings that we can unite to the Cross of Christ. Prayer is the first priority of the Lenten Season. Through prayer, we are spiritually preparing ourselves for the Resurrection that we experience on Easter, and it is the Resurrection we hope to enjoy after our passing from this life into eternal life. In many ways, our lives can be like Lent, looking forward always to the hope of eternal life. In this mindset, we look to prayer first in this Season of Lent, to see what ways we can unite ourselves, with the whole Church, to Christ, the Crucified One, so that our prayers can be fruitful for eternal life.

There are many tangible things that we can do that can aid in our spiritual lives, in order to prepare ourselves for Easter. Have you considered the possibility of daily Mass? Mass is the ultimate form of prayer and praise, and during Lent the attendance of daily Mass can give one many spiritual graces (daily Mass also gives many graces throughout the rest of the year too). It is through Mass that our sufferings and penances can be united to Christ, as the Eucharist is a memorial of Christ's suffering and death in a very literal, transubstantial way.

Another form of prayer is the Rosary, especially by praying the Sorrowful Mysteries. You are meditating with Mary on the life of Christ, especially his final hours here on Earth before He died. A daily Rosary may seem hard, but really, it is easier than you think. When you drive to and from work every day, or to and from school, you may listen to the radio. Consider praying a Rosary on the way to work or school, and listening to the radio on the way home. It is something easy you can do, and it only takes 15-20 minutes. There is also the Divine Mercy Chaplet, focused on the prayer: "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world." It is traditionally prayed at 3PM on Fridays (this is the hour of the death of Christ on Friday, and 3PM is called the Hour of Mercy); during Lent you can consider praying the Chaplet every day, and if possible, at 3 PM every day. Another devotion you can take up stems from the Garden of Gethsemene. To recall the story, Jesus was praying, and His disciples kept falling asleep. Jesus said to them "Can you not spent one hour with me?" This developed into the devotion known as the Holy Hour, an hour you spend with Jesus in prayer. By praying in front of Jesus, you are uniting yourself to Him, as Jesus calls us to do in the Garden, and in his Passion and Death.

Now I wish to move onto the idea of fasting. Before His ministry began, Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray, and at the end of it He was hungry. He was in the desert for 40 days, and with no coincidence, that is how long Lent is, as Lent is our journey in the desert before the Resurrection of Jesus. By fasting, we are uniting ourselves to Jesus in the desert. Some of the things you can give up are what we were taught to do when we were kids: candy, chocolate, soda, or whatever you might really enjoy. Also consider giving up meat during Lent, not just on Fridays during Lent and Ash Wednesday. Pray, what is it that I enjoy too much, and can I give it up during Lent? Another thing to consider is on Fridays to eat just bread and drink water, as that can be a good fast. By giving it up, you are then learning not to take that food for granted, and you are sacrificing a little something as a way to offer it to Christ.

The final thing is almsgiving. Almsgiving can look many different ways. The first is to continue to tithe at Sunday Mass; by tithing, you are being a good steward, and you are helping the local parish continue to provide spiritual support and ministries so that the Church can continue to thrive. In addition to tithing, one can consider giving your time in a homeless shelter, or at a retirement home for priests. In Norristown, there is a Missionaries of Charity House. Consider calling them up and asking to volunteer 2-3 Saturdays during Lent there. In addition to tithing, you may want to give a little something extra to the Church, say, for the parish hall renovations, or for a new parking lot. There may be a special project your church is doing, and they need money to do it. Give them a little something extra. If I may, I would recommend doing some sort of community service. Not enough community service is done, and there are groups that need help that way.

Finally, we must remember that by praying, fasting, and almsgiving, the things we do during Lent are not for the sake of the things we do, but rather to be spiritually edified, making one more properly disposed to receive graces. By doing some penances and practices during Lent, we make ourselves more disposed to hear the Word of God and to act on His will for us. We do these things to become more Christ-like, as by doing these things we are imitating Him.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Chastity: A Catholic Truth for Catholic Youth

2009-02-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

I found a short article on some basics of chastity that you might find as an interesting read. Click here to read it.

New Saints

2009-02-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is an article to the Catholic News Agency, which put out an article on several men and women who have been beatified who are to be canonized. Read it here.

These are pictures of Blessed Damian of Molo'kai, who spent much of his life ministering to lepars on the island of Molo'kai, and Blessed Brother Rafael, who is considered one of the greatest mystics of the 20th century.

discerning God's call versus your parent's call

2009-02-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

The next question I wish to look at is: "How do I discern God's Call from my parent's call?"

Family influence on your life can be very strong. For many cases, it is the family who may not exactly be supportive at first regarding a priestly vocation, precisely because they have so much happiness in married life, and they want you to be happy. But there are some parents who may excessively push their kids to consider religious life or the priesthood. So in the end, we must figure out God's call apart from what our parents want. The question is: how do we do that?

The answer is through prayer. By talking to God in prayer, you will soon figure out what He is calling you to do. Praying at Mass, and by praying outside of Mass, especially in front of the Eucharist, can lead you to figure out what exactly God may be calling you to do. One must clear his head from other people speaking when you are praying to God.

Now, at the same time, it is often our family and friends who see a priestly vocation in a boy long before the boy sees it himself. Your family may be encouraging you because they see it in you, and they are trying to point it out to you. Can they be excessive sometimes? Yes, but remember that they are your parents, and they honestly want what is best for you. In the end, listen to and respect your parents, and take what they say seriously, and pray about it. And be open to a possible call to the priesthood, and open yourself to God's generosity.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

On Mortal Sin

2009-02-17T09:00:00.001-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

With Lent approaching, which is a penitential season, I think we need to talk briefly about mortal sin, what it is, what we can do about it, and how to avoid it.

Mortal sin destroys charity in your heart. It turns you away from God, and only through the Sacrament of Confession can we be reconciled to God. An act of mortal sin has grave matter associated with it. For example, abortion is grave matter, so anyone performing an abortion, or a mother having an abortion, has grave matter. The first criteria for a mortal sin is whether it is grave matter. There is also light matter, which are associated with venial sins. Venial sins distort our charity, but it doesn't destroy it, nor does it destroy our relationship with God. Venial sins, however, make us more disposed to commit mortal sin. An example of this is talking back to your parents by telling them you won't do something they asked you to do. That is light matter, and so it is venial. But with repititions and frequently talking back to your parents, it will make you more disposed to commit an act with grave matter, say, telling your parents that you hated them, or using the Lord's name in vain while arguing with them.

So the first criterion of a mortal sin is that it is an act with grave matter. The second criterion is that you must be aware that you are doing it, and that you did it intentionally. Intention to commit the act in question also plays a part in weighing over whether the act is constituted a mortal sin. In the example of accidently having a car accident and killing someone else, you did not have the intention of having the car accident to kill the other person, so the act of killing someone, although it is still grave matter, isn't a mortal sin because the intention isn't there.

The third criterion for a mortal sin is whether you have had sufficient reflection of the act. If you know from the past that it is an act of grave matter, then you know that it might be a mortal sin. For example, if someone out there didn't know that abortion was grave matter, then for him or her, it wouldn't be a mortal sin. But for someone who did know, it would be considered a mortal sin. It is important to note, that the gravity of the act is not dependent on the person and their knowledge of what is good. Abortion is intrinsically wrong in every single circumstance, and the gravity of abortion stays the same. But it depends on the person and their knowledge or ignorance whether they committed a mortal sin. I hope this makes sense. In short, abortion is always grave matter, but if the person honestly didn't know (which I find hard to believe with abortion, because the nature of life should be innate in every person), then it wasn't a mortal sin for them.

In short, a mortal sin has those three criteria: grave matter, intention of doing it, and sufficient reflection that the act was of grave matter. If it has all three of these criteria, then it is a mortal sin. If not, then it is probably a venial sin.

When, after having committed a mortal sin, a person who is penitent should seek a priest for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Reconciliation restores the charity in our heart and restores us back to the friendship of God that every person, at least implicitly, longs for.

And how do we avoid it? The number one thing someone can do to avoid mortal sin is by going to Reconciliation frequently for the venial sins one commits, because, as I stated earlier, venial sins make one more disposed to commit a mortal sin. By frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation and by going to Mass regularly (not going to Mass on Sunday can be a mortal sin if it meets the three criteria), they can be great tools to avoid the near occasion of mortal sins. Additional prayer is also important. Try praying a Rosary with the intention of avoiding the near occasion of sin.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Season of Lent

2009-02-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

It is hard to believe that next Wednesday (in nine days) is Ash Wednesday, thus marking the beginning of the penitential season of Lent. I can attest that it really is a sign of getting older when the days and months just fly by, because it just seemed like yesterday when we were celebrating Ash Wednesday, and now it is here again.

Lent is 40 days long, signifying the time that Jesus spent in the desert in the Gospels. Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast, and this is what we do in Lent. We are preparing for the death of Christ that happens on Good Friday, and we await the gift of the Resurrection that we receive on Easter Sunday, the high liturgical feast of the Church for the entire year. Easter is a sign of our redemption through Christ Jesus, and Lent is our spiritual preparation for that gift.

I bring this up today, in advance, of Ash Wednesday because we also must spiritually and physically prepare for Lent. The most practical preparation we do in anticipation of Lent are penances for the season. As kids, we were always encouraged to give up chocolate, or soda, or some kind of food or drink as a way of self-emptying, or kenosis. In the life of Christ, we continually try self-emptying ourselves for the sake our redemption. Christ self emptied himself on the Cross; we are asked to do the same in order to be Christ like.

So Lent is a time set aside in the liturgical calendar for the spiritual preparation. What do we give up? A better question is: what do we take up?

A story: In my travels and experiences the last few years, I have come to meet probably over 100 different priests, mostly in Maryland and Pennsylvania. One priest I met in Maryland tells this story: When he was in his 20's, he was a wild party animal. He would drink to excess, and party like it was the end of the world. He was crazy. He was also a fallen away Catholic, and he didn't go to Church on a regular basis. As a joke, his friend bet him that for Lent he couldn't go to daily Mass every day for the season. To prove him wrong, he took the challenge and starting going to daily Mass.

After a little while he noticed his entire life transformed, and the things which were important to him before were no longer that important. After Lent ended, he continued going to daily Mass, continuing to be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Pretty soon he went into the seminary because he heard the call to become a priest, and he is now a Catholic priest in Maryland.

The question for you: we have the season of Lent to help us spiritually grow, by the grace of God. Are you willing to take up a penance or practice for Lent that can potentially change your life? We are all striving to be Christ like, and the practice you take up in Lent is supposed to have that as its end. If you do something for Lent like not eating chocolate, but it is for the purpose of losing weight, then that isn't a suitable practice. Give it up for Lent so that it can spiritually edify you.

But I go back to the question: Are you willing to change your life for Christ? If your answer to this is "yes", which I sincerely hope it is, here are some suggestions for penances:
1. Daily Mass- the Mass is the greatest form of prayer and praise in the Church, so availing yourself of this every day will bring you much fruit.
2. Daily Rosary- talking to Mary, and asking her to pray for us will bring you many graces, and The Rosary has been known to change lives.
3. Daily personal prayer: Praying for 15 minutes in silence every day can take you far.
4. Give up all meats- Fridays are mandatory for most people, but by giving up meat completely, you will be taking a huge sacrifice on your shoulders, and it will reap many spiritual benefits.

Do not be afraid to take on a hard penance. God will give you the graces necessary for you to do it. Be not afraid of failure. These above ideas are not easy, nor should they be. They should be hard, and the harder they are, the more graces that will be given to you. Do not be afraid. Have courage to do the extraordinary.

There are three main components of Lent. Today I talked about the general idea about giving things up. In the next few days look for posts of these three main components, which are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

May the Divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Prayer for priestly vocations

2009-02-13T11:27:00.001-08:00

The following is a short prayer that can be prayed even at your dinner table. Remember to pray for vocations.

Lord Jesus, you called chosen men to be with you: to preach the good news of salvation and to have authority over the powers of darkness. Send your Holy Spirit upon the men you have chosen for the priestly ministry. May they answer your call and follow you with generous hearts. Amen.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Hearing the call, but yet you have fear

2009-02-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Friends,

The next question I wish to write about is: "I've had these feelings about joining the priesthood, but I don't feel like I can talk to anyone. What do I do?"

My first observation is to tell people that you can talk to people. The couple of people you would most likely approach are your parents, and your parish priest. They would be more than happy to talk to you about your feelings. But what you are talking about is actually getting up the courage to talk to someone about it.

I think this is a common element in most vocation stories I have heard over the years, that for a while the man was afraid to say something to anybody. He may go for even years without saying anything. I say this to reassure you that it is probably pretty normal for you to go through a period where it is hard for you to say something.

At the same time, this gives you the opportunity to examine why it might be hard for you to say something. Perhaps you know yourself and your failings, and you are afraid you might be dismissed because of those failings and your short comings. There might be a sense of unworthiness that you feel, and you might feel ashamed to go to a priest or your family because they may know your failing as well. Let me reassure you that if only the worthy were called to the priesthood, we would have had only one priest, and that was Jesus Christ himself. Nobody is really worthy to undertake such a task, so if you can't talk to anybody about it because of this, do not fear, and realize that no one is worthy in the end.

You might also feel rejected. We must realize that some parents are against the idea of their son becoming a priest because they fear it will make them unhappy. But really, it is in following your vocation that you will become happy, and maybe that is something to remind your parents, that every person has a vocation from God, and through that vocation will they find the most fulfillment. Find more information out about seminary and the priesthood, and try to inform your parents about it. Have them talk to a priest about their life. While I say all this, we must remember to honor and respect our parents, and remember that they try to do what is best for us. So go about this respectfully, and respect their opinion. Also, prayer goes a long way in this respect. It would be good to pray for your parents that they may be open to the possibility of their son becoming a priest, God willing.

You might also feel as though you will be targeted if you talk to a priest. So you talk to the priest, and then he has the Vocations Office on speed dial, and tells us about you. At this point, you probably fear that you won't be left alone after that, and that we will call you constantly. This isn't the case. While a priest may tell us about a man he had a conversation with, we encourage the priest to continue the conversation with you. We might send you a letter and invite you to an event, but we mostly encourage the priest to continue working with you. When you are ready, you then call the vocation office and talk to us about vocations. We work with the priest in providing you good resources to assist you in your discernment. Our office is stocked full of vocations materials that you can use, and we do our best to provide to you and the priests of the Archdiocese that material for your use. So, in short, we don't harp on men, but we gently encourage them to continue their discernment, and when they are ready, they can talk to us more seriously.

In the end, I pray that you may not be afraid in talking to somebody about movements of your heart that are telling you that you may be called to go into the seminary. Please know of our office's prayers for you and your continued discernment. May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Saint Valentine's Day and love

2009-02-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

Tomorrow millions of couples around the United States and beyond will be celebrating Valentine's Day. Now, it might be funny to be talking about Saint Valentine on a website dedicated to priestly vocations, but there is a connection.

I first have to admit that while I knew there was a Saint Valentine, I really had no idea about the role he played that got him on the date where couples celebrate their love. So I had to go to one of my most trusted sources, Wikipedia for some background information. From Wikipedia, I read about how in the ancient book of the saints, "The Golden Legend", Valentine was actually a priest in the Roman Empire. The story "The Golden Legend" tells is that the Emperor Claudius II made an edict, or a law forbidding young men to marry. He did this as a way to bolster his army, since he didn't consider married men to be good soldiers. Father Valentine, recognizing the importance of Christian marriage, went on a campaign to secretly marry young men and women. As a result, he was eventually thrown in jail. He was executed a few days later. This story happened in the third century after the death of Christ.

So, one can see the origins of Saint Valentine's Day to this story of a priest named Valentine who went around marrying people against the wishes of the Emperor. How far have we come from this idea of celebrating Saint Valentine's Day? The first thing is that any kind of Christian element has been taken out of the day itself. The day may celebrate love, which is a virtue in the Christian tradition, however, the "love" usually takes forms that are essentially non-Christian. For non-married couples, Valentine's Day is an excuse to engage in pre-marital sex, usually with the use of contraception. This day is also an excuse, most likely, for homosexual couple who think that what they experience is love. In both of these instances, the "love" the couple feels is a distorted and disordered love. Their idea of "love" isn't Christian love. Christian love is a beautiful union between a man and woman in holy Matrimony that is open to procreation. This Christian love is much more beautiful than any kind of distortion of love out there.

Christian love is found in every vocation God has given us, from the married life, to the priesthood and religious life. In marriage, love is fairly obvious: it is that mutual love a man and woman give each other for the sake of their sanctity. They continue to grow in love. In the priesthood and religious life, this Christian love takes the form of a non-exclusive love. Since the priest's bride is the Church, he is called to give himself to the Church in a completely loving way. In married life, the love is exclusive. For the priest, they have the benefit of their love being inclusive. They are called to love all, not in a sexual way, but in a completely Christian way nonetheless.

This points to an important aspect of the notion of love: love is a sacrifice. A man is supposed to lay down his life for his wife, and vice versa. A priest is supposed to lay down his life for his bride, the Church. Sacrifice is the ultimate notion of love. Don't let the media or popular culture tell you that love equals pleasure. This is a completely false notion of love. While it is true that Christian marriage and the marital act is pleasurable, the pleasure points to the sacrifice of each other. Sex isn't to be used as a tool for pleasure for those who are not in a marital relationship (man and woman). And those in a loving marital relationship, the marital act in which they participate would be directed to union and procreation. This doesn't mean that you can't have sex unless you are trying to get pregnant; but there must be that openness to life nontheless.

But why is sacrifice the ultimate form of Christian love? It is becase of the reality of the death of Christ. Christ says himself in the Gospel, there is no greater love than a friend giving his life for his friends. This is what Christ does on the Cross. He dies for His people, His Church so that, through His sacrifice, humanity can be saved. We celebrate this in the Eucharist. Since the priest acts in the person of Christ, that priest offers that same sacrifice for His Church. In the benediction prayer for Holy Hour, it reads: "Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the Eucharist as the Memorial of your Suffering and Death." In the end, the love you give the people as a priest, or the love you give your husband or wife, should reflect the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

If you are reading this and think I am down on Valentine's Day, please know I am taking my fiancee to a nice dinner Saturday night for Valentine's Day, so I am not down on it; it is a great time to get together with the one you love. For those who are going out with boyfriends, girlfriends, or fiancees or spouses, I hope you have a great time, and remember real Christian love isn't getting as much pleasure as possible, but rather a reflection of the love of Christ crucified. May your actions be Christ like.

-Bobby

Our Lady of Lourdes

2009-02-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Our growth in holiness should be rooted in a deep love of Christ and His mother, Mary. 151 years ago, Mary appeared to a young girl in Lourdes, France. I found a page on the popular site EWTN: Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.

It was on February 11th, 1858 that the apparitions started happening. 151 years later, Lourdes has become on of the biggest pimgrimage sights in the world. An estimated 5 million people go every year to Lourdes on pilgrimage.

I would encourage you to learn a little bit about Lourdes, and the Blessed Mother under the patronage of Our Lady of Lourdes. Who knows the countless miracles that can happen as a result of your prayer to Our Lady?

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Our Lady of Lourdes.

Seminary curriculum

2009-02-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

We received a great question about the actual seminary classes one takes. There are two tracks prior to theology studies. The first is college for those who haven't gone to college, or completed college. The second is pre-theology, which is designed for those who have already finished college.

College division:
I College Fall
Com 101 Oral Composition
Eng 101 College Composition
His 101 History of Western Civilization I
Lat 105 Elementary Latin I
Thl 101 Perspectives of Catholic Belief

Spring
Phl 102 Introduction to philosophy
Eng 106 Great Works of Western Lit I
His 102 History of Western Civilization
Mth 106 College Algebra and Trigonometry
Lat 106 Elementary Latin II
Thl 102 Introduction to Liturgy

II College
Fall
Eng 204 Great Works of Western Lit II
Latin 205 Intermediate Latin I
Phl 203 Logic
Psy 201 Human Development and Life Stages
Elective

Spring
Bio 201 Human Biology
Lat 206 Intermediate Latin II
Phl 204 Epistemology
Thl 203 Introduction to Scripture
Elective

III College
Fall
Hum 301 Humanities
Spa 301 Basic Spanish I
Phl 303 Metaphysics I
Thl 303 Introductory Church History
Elective

Spring
Grk 302 Elementary Greek I
Spa 302 Basic Spanish II
Phl 304 Metaphysics II
Phl 305 Ancient Philosophy
Elective

IV College
Fall
Grk 401 Elementary Greek II
Phl 401 Philosophy of Man
Thl 401 Christian Commitment and the Moral Life
Phl 405 Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy
Elective

Spring
Grk 401 Greek New Testament Readings
Phl 402 Ethics
Phl 406 Later Modern and Contemporary Philosophy
Thl 402 Introduction to Dogmatic Theology
Com 401 Oral Communication II
Elective

Pretheology Division:
Year 1
Fall semester
Phl 504 Logic
Phl 511 Ancient Philosophy
Thl 510 Practical Theological Concepts
Lat 507 Latin I
Elective

Spring
Phl 518 Medieval/Early Modern Philosophy
Phl 503 Epistemology
Thl 502 Introduction to Dogmatic Theology
Lat 508 Latin II
Elective

Year II
Fall Semester
Phl 519 Later modern/ contemporary philosophy
Phl 512 Metaphysics I
Phl 501 Philosophy of Man
Thl 505 History of Christian Spirituality I
Grk 507 Greek I

Spring
Phl 502 Ethics
Phl 504 Natural Theology
Phl Elective
Thl 506 History of Christian Spirituality II
Grk 508 Greek II

Some of the things you may notice is that the course load is very philosophically heavy. The Program for Priestly Formation put out by the USCCB (The Conference of Bishops) calls for at least 3o credits of philosophy before studying graduate level theology. Philosophy gives you important grounding in order to better grasp difficult theological concepts. The curriculums also give a great importance to the study of language, not only Greek and Latin, but the seminary recognizes the pastoral importance of Spanish.

In addition, seminarians are required to take a music class every semester, and seminarians have the opportunity to sing in the schola, or to play the organ. And I also believe that the music director also gives organ lessons to those who are interested. I hope this answers your question.

How Early Can You Enter The Seminary?

2009-02-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Some of you might be wondering how early you can enter the seminary. The answer is that you must be 18 on your first day at the seminary in August. St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is not only a major theological seminary, but it is also a college seminary, so you can go right out of high school, provided you are 18 by August. You must be 18 for liablility purposes, since before 18 you are still technically a minor.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

-Bobby

Being a priest teacher

2009-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

The next question I wish to present is: "What if you want to be a teacher as well as a priest?" This is a great question. In the college level, there are many priests who teach full time. They mostly teach religion and theology, but it isn't limited to that. In fact, you can be an English teacher, or a math teacher, or anything really.

In the high schools here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, there are a good number of priests who are teachers. They evangelize and spread the Gospel through their teaching, and it is their full time work.

But even if you don't teach full time, part of the priest's very identity is that of being a teacher. He teaches the people about Christ and His Church. As a result of this, every priest is a teacher by virtue of the office of the priesthood. If you don't teach full time, you can always do some teaching at the grade school of your parish, or you can teach CCD. A priest can also lead Bible Studies at his parish, or Catechism classes.

Having an interest in teaching is important if you are discerning the priesthood, precisely because teaching is so pertinent to the life of a priest. A priest is always teaching, and you don't always have to be in a classroom to teach. So, if you want to be a teacher, remember that it isn't incompatible with being a priest.

Take care, and may you stay close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

What if you leave the priesthood?

2009-02-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

This is a difficult question to write about, because some of us may know men who were priests who ended up leaving and getting married. I personally know no less than six priests who ended up leaving active ministry to get married, and it is hard to think about. Yet it does happen.

First, seminary life is designed to help a young man discern their vocation. If they are truly called to be a priest, then the seminary will help confirm that for them. If they are called to married life, then after a period of discernment they should leave. Men who leave the priesthood do one of two things (or both) while in seminary that results in them leaving.

The first is that instead of availing themselves of what the seminary has to offer, including daily Mass, Holy Hour, and periods of intense prayer, some men try to skim by, doing the bare minimum. They may not see a problem with missing Mass, or not doing their times of prayer every day. They may use the excuse that they are too busy. But really, the spiritual life should be primary in the life of a seminarian, and the habits a seminarian learns goes with him as a priest. So if he had the habit of missing prayer often while in seminary, when he becomes a priest he will also find himself missing the important times of prayer. Prayer for a priest is absolutely essential. If the priest doesn't pray, he will not stand a chance. Prayer is the fundamental corner stone of the life of a priest, and if isn't there, the rest of him will crumble. It is in periods of prayer that a man encounters God, and the man discerns God's will. If that conversation isn't happening, then the discernment isn't happening.

The second thing they try to do is that they view the seminary as a thing to conquer, and they try to beat the system. These are called submariners, since they go under the water and hide for long periods of time. They have formation issues that they need to work on, but instead of working on them, they hide them from everybody else, and they don't get fixed. Then, when the priest is outside of the seminary, the issues they need to work on get exasperated by the business of the priest, and the issues that they should have worked on come out glaring. This is especially the case of the priest doesn't pray. His faults and failings become an exponential problem without a spiritual base.

If someone leaves the priesthood, it is always a sad case. We must pray ernestly for the man, and we must pray that he returns to active ministry. If he gets married, we must then ernestly pray for the salvation of his soul. I don't know of any saints who left the priesthood and got married. But if a man honestly avails himself to everything the seminary offers and dives headfirst into formation and discernment, then he shouldn't have this problem, as long as he keeps up the prayer.

I hope this answers the question adequately. May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Army Chaplain follow up

2009-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

To follow up from a comment left regarding actually interviewing army chaplains, the following is a link to the archives for Holy Spirit Radio's Vocation Hour. Every month, Fr. Chris Rogers does a radio show, and almost 3 years ago he interviewed two Army Chaplains, Fr. DiGregorio and Fr. Krick. The interview happened on 6-2-2006, and here is the link: Holy Spirit Radio Vocation Hour archives. You will have to scroll down on the page to get to it. I hope you enjoy it.

Being an Army Chaplain

2009-02-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

Friends in Christ,

One of the questions we had was: "How do I become an Army Chaplain?" That was a great question, and I was the first to say that I had no idea how to become an Army Chaplain. As a result, in researching this question, I went right to my friend Fr. Steve McDermott, who I met in Philadelphia in August. He is now deployed as an Army Chaplain in Bamberg, Germany. Here is his response:

Many thanks for your email. Great question! There are two parts to
this answer.

1) The first is the issue of discernment. Obviously this is huge for
priestly vocations. We have the "Come and See" mentality to promoting
priestly vocations. But in the Army... I never had that. When I wanted
to learn more about it... I called them and "They came to Me"
Discerning
the calling to the Chaplancy is the same as discerning the calling to
Priesthood. "Is this what's God calling me to." All of that you
can
share with the person inquiring as you would a person looking at the
Preisthood.

2) If they truly feel that they are being called... then they should
talk to someone. I had three Army priests help me along the way. I can
tell you that there is a huge (and I mean HUGE) shortage of Catholic
priests in the Army. I met a Protestant Chaplain who was busting on me
about the lack of Catholic Priests in the Army. He had just gotten back
from being down-range (Iraq) and he said at his FOB (Forward Operating
Base) they would weekly have Wiccan services... but there was no Priest
there! That's a hard pill to swollow!

Nonetheless... For Philadelphia, there is a five year wait before going in to the
Chaplancy. But you can go through the school during the summer years of
Seminary (obviously with the permission of the Seminary). Let me add
here that Cardinal Rigali is VERY supportive of guys choosing the Army.
He has a friend, Msgr Philip Hill who is (or was) in the Army. When the
Cardinal heard that I choose the Army, he was very happy. In fact, he
mentioned that while in St. Louis, one of the priests there submitted a
request to go into the Navy. The Cardinal told him to go into the Army
instead... he was needed there more!! (Good Man!)

If a priest is five years ordained (in Philly) and he has the
Cardinal's approval, he will go through a VERY lengthy application
process. (Here, I would be willing to explain and help anyone
interested.) Once accepted, that person would then receive orders to
head down to Fort Jackson South Carolina for a 12 week course. This
course is broken off intro four sigments: (1) Chaplain Initial Military
Training {CIMT}, after this, there are three Phases (I, II, & III). Once
the priest graduates CH-BOLC (Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course),
he would then be assigned to a unit or a Garrison (as in my case).
If the person you are talking about would like to email me... pls feel
free to give him this address. I hope that this was helpful.
God Bless
Chaplain McDermott

If you are interested in hearing more about Army Chaplancy, feel free to contact Fr. Steve McDermott at frsmcdermott@yahoo.com. He will be happy to hear from you, and say a little prayer for him as well.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Can you leave the seminary?

2009-02-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

I hope everybody's weekends were good, spend with family and friends and enjoying the time away from either going to school or going to work. Recreation and leisure is an important aspect of life, and we should always remember that we work to live, not live to work. I have been under the weather, but I appear to be on the mend, and the weekend was an important time of recovery for me.

Today's question: If you enter the seminary do you have to become a priest? Is that the only option?

This question gets at the primary reason a man goes into seminary: to further discern whether or not God is calling him to the priesthood. When a man goes into the seminary, there is a distinct possibility that he is called to the priesthood. It is also a distinct possibility that he is called to married life, or some other personal vocation, such as being a doctor, or lawyer etc. A man goes to seminary to further try to figure out if God wants them to be a priest.

A healthy number of men leave every year to go do something else, many of whom because they have honestly discerned God's call to leave the seminary. And God does call men to leave. Sometimes God calls men to go into the seminary for a period of time to train him for something else, or to prepare him for someone else, a future wife. I know a good number of former seminarians who are now married with children. They are active in their local churches, and they raise their family Catholic.

In short, it is perfectly normal to leave seminary if you feel, with the help of spiritual direction, that a call to the priesthood isn't your call. At the same time, you must be cautious when you leave, and you must make sure you are leaving for the right reasons. The decision to leave, or even stay, should never be decided on a good or bad day in the seminary, but rather, over a longer period of time. You must defeat the temptation to leave after your first bad day, because there will be many bad days, but just because you have bad days doesn't mean that you aren't called. Now, if every day is a bad day and it gets to be painful, that's one thing. What I am talking about is a bad day every now and then, but they happen to everybody.

In short, you go to the seminary to further discern whether you are called to the priesthood. And you can leave if you realize it isn't what you are supposed to do. I hope this answers the question adequately. God bless.

Length of time in seminary

2009-01-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

Our next question to discuss: "How long do you have to study to become a priest?" This is a great practical question. For most people, it will be from 6-8 years. If you go into college seminary right out of high school, you will take 4 years of undergraduate study and receive a B.A. in philosophy. After that, there is an additional four years of theological studies. If you are out of college and then decide to go into the seminary, it takes six years. You will then do a two year program of pre-theology which is primarily philosophy. In addition to philosophy, you will take usually a year of Greek and a year of Latin, and you will also take an occasional theology elective, or Spanish.

At the end of the 6-8 years you will have a BA, as well as a Masters in Divinity, and maybe even an additional Master's Degree. You will also be getting the best education the Church can provide, so you will be prepared to handle the priestly ministry with the training you get in seminary. I hope this answers satisfies your question.

God bless.

On the Blessed Virgin Mary

2009-01-28T12:46:00.001-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

We had a request to do some writing on the Virgin Mary, and how a young man can learn to foster devotion towards her. I first want to refer you to a blog post I wrote two months ago called "Mary, mother of priests". That gives you an idea of the role of the Blessed Mother in the life of a priest. But what about the average Joe or Jane out there who wants to develop further devotion to her?

Devotion to the Blessed Mother is of utmost importance in any life, not just a priest. It is through prayer to Mary that we learn to be more like her, in being completely obedient to the will of God. We need only look back at Mary's radical yes: Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it down unto me according to your word. So by prayer to Mary, we are learning how to be more like Mary in following God and His will for us. We should always pray "May it be done unto me according to your word." This is the prayer of Mary, and we should practice imitating her.

The most popular form of Marian Devotion is through the Rosary. It is in the Rosary that we pray to Mary while meditating on the life of Christ. In the letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae by Pope John Paul II, the Rosary is described as primarily a Christocentric prayer, because you are meditating on the life of Christ. But you aren't meditating on the life of Christ alone; you are meditating with Mary on the life of Christ. You are learning from her example of prayer. She prays to Christ, and when we pray the Rosary, our ultimate prayer is to Christ, precisely because Mary intercedes for us. Prayer to Mary is intercessory, something our non-Catholic Christians don't seem to understand, that when praying to Mary, we aren't asking her to grant the request, but we are asking her to pray for us so that request is granted. I like to use to analogy that if Christ is the head of the Church, Mary is the neck of the Church, as she turns the head towards mercy. Any decent man listens to his mother, and the relationship of Christ and Mary is no different.

So when praying the Rosary, we must remember that all things end in Christ, and the Rosary is no different. In the Rosary, we are uniting our prayers with Mary as together, you and Mary meditate on the life of Christ, and you learn more about Christ through her. But we also try to imitate Mary, as she is the best example we have (except for Christ himself) of being a Christian. Mary was with Jesus his entire life, including his death. In the Gospel of John we read about how Mary kneels at the foot of the Cross. We must learn to do the same, meditating on the Cross as Mary meditated on the Cross.

I hope my short meditation on Mary helps those who are trying to foster a devotion towards her. There are many papal writings on the role of the Virgin Mother. I would start with Rosarium Virginis Mariam, which was writting in 2002. I would also read Redemptorist Mater, which is a papal encyclical on the Mother of the Redeemer written by John Paul II. I would also check out some of the posts on this blog: The Humble Servant. This is my other blog with writings on Marian devotion. On this blog you can also learn how to pray the Rosary, and learn more about St. Maximilian Kolbe, a 20th Century martyr in the German concentration camps who started Militia Immaculata, a Marian devotion group. I would also pick up St. Louis de Montfort's "True Devotion to Mary."

My final note: In fostering a devotion to Mary, we can learn our vocation in life, whether it be married life, or the priesthood, or religious life. If you really want to figure out your vocation, it is in your best interest to pray the Rosary every day with the intention of being shown your vocation in life. May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May God bless you.

-Bobby

Can a priest have hobbies?

2009-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

Today's question that I wish to discuss is the following: "Is a priest still able to achieve certain social goals, such as sharing their music to the world?" I think this question is basically getting at hobbies.

The general norm for this is the following: "A priest is encouraged to have hobbies as long as his hobbies don't inhibit his primary work as a priest." In other words, the work of a priest comes first, but a priest is still encouraged to have a hobby or two. In fact, hobbies are healthy activities, and they should allow anybody, including a priest, to relax from stressful days. In terms of hobbies, I wish to share with you a few priests who I know, and their hobbies.

The first is Fr. Kevin McGoldrick. Fr. Kevin is a parochial vicar in South Philadelphia at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Before he went into seminary, he learned how to play the guitar. He still knows how to play, and he is really quite good. Last night I heard him play the guitar, and he was playing everything from The Beatles to Nirvana. If you can imagine a priest in a cassock playing Beatles tunes on a guitar, you must admit it can be a rather humorous picture. While Fr. Kevin knows how to play a vast array of things, he shares his gift of music to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by playing for many different religious functions. He is in charge of the music at Catholic Underground, which is a young adult event held monthly at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. He was also the guitarist at the recent Friday Night at the Seminary, where we had over 200 young people come together to learn about discernment and seminary life. He uses his gift of music to bring people to Christ in a unique way. Not every priest knows the guitar, and so he has developed his guitar skills into a very effective way of evangelizing.

Over the Christmas holidays, there was the story about a group of three Irish priests who hit it big on the music charts with their cd of traditional religious music. Here is a link that tells you a little more about them! Again, these three priests are using their gift of music and sharing it with the world.

The Late Pope John Paul II was a writer and an actor, and he shared that gift with many people. The current Pope Benedict XVI is a gifted classical pianist.

In short, there is a place for musical talent in the priesthood. There are many priests who are musically talented. There are priests who are painters, some are great actors and help out and act in the local Catholic High School musical. Some priests are great writers.

While a priest is able to share their talents with the community and, in some cases, the world, it is important to remember that he is a priest of Jesus Christ, so his priestly ministry will always come first. There is also discretion that should be used. A priest probably shouldn't play at a night club Saturday night. The first reason is that he has to celebrate Mass in the morning, and the second being that it probably just isn't a good idea for a priest to be playing at a night club for moral reasons. Like Fr. Kevin, you can also direct your musical talent to aid in your ministry. If you are a good singer, you can sing the Mass parts, or you can start a children's choir from your parochial school.

Thanks for the question. I hope I answered it adequately. May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

2009-01-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

When writing blogs and emails to our contacts, I always end with the phrase "may you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary". It dawned on me that perhaps you may not know about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so I thought I would do some writing on it.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is exactly what it sounds like: it is a devotion to the physical heart of Jesus. It is a realization of the divine love of Jesus for humanity. But why is the Sacred Heart such a realization?

The Sacred Heart of Jesus has its origins on the cross, when Jesus was crucified. Jesus died for our sins, and you can say that his death was the ultimate reparation of sins. A reparation is a re-payment, so when you are talking about reparation in the religious sense, it is an action that someone does in order for someone else to return to God. The ultimate reparation then, was the crucifixion of Jesus, because He did it for us, because of the love that He has for us. According to Wikipedia, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is closely associated with acts of reparation to Jesus Christ. Pope Pius XI wrote: "the spirit of expiation or reparation has always had the first and foremost place in the worship given to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus". This is from his encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor, written in 1928.

The Sacred Heart is a realization of the diving love for man because it shows us that Jesus, who we know as God, was crucified out of love for us. He loved us so much that he gave Himself up for the sake of our salvation. From the cross comes salvation, made possible by the crucifixion of Christ.

There is also a sacramental relationship that the Sacred Heart has. On the Cross, one of the Roman soldiers thrust his lance into the side of Jesus. We read this in the Gospel of John: "When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out" (John 19:33-34). The early Church fathers picked up an important sacramental point made here, that blood and water flowed out. So from the side of Jesus, comes forth the sacraments, and from the side of Jesus comes forth the Church, which administers the sacraments. The blood of Christ poured forth, so when we celebrate the Mass, we celebrate the Eucharist, which is truly the Body and Blood of Jesus. Think about this: the same Blood of Christ that was poured forth from His precious side is the same Precious Blood we have at Mass. The Water is the water of Baptism, which wipes away the stain of Original Sin, so how appropriate it is to have the waters of Baptism flow from the side of the Crucified One, the Christ who died to save us from our sins!

This Precious Blood that poured forth from Jesus' side was at one point in Jesus' Sacred Heart, but tradition also tells us, and this devotion, that the lance of the soldier actually pierced his Sacred Heart, so the blood literally poured forth from the heart of Jesus. This is why the actual image of the Sacred Heart is shown with a lance-wound. It is also shown with a crown of thorns, which alludes to Jesus' Passion. So the image itself points to the death of Christ.

So the Sacred Heart has a reparative aspect, as devotion to it is used as a means of reparation for the sins of others who may desecrate Churchs or abuse the sacraments, for example. It also points to the cross, and the fact that the Crucifixion of Christ saved us from sins and won our salvation, so the image is a realization of the divine love that God has for humanity. And finally, this is especially realized in the sacrament character of the Sacred Heart. From the side of Jesus poured forth blood from His heart and water, two life-giving symbols that Jesus turned into signs of salvation.

This is an image of St. Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who had visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She lived in France in the 17th Century. She would often have visions of Jesus growing up, and she thought they were part of the normal experience of life. She became a nun, and Jesus continued to reveal Himself to her. She eventually was allowed to build a chapel to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in her convent. She was the first person to start devotion to the Sacred Heart, but the devotion was not recognized until 75 years after her death. The devotion was propogated by the Jesuits after her death.

This is a picture of St. Faustina Kowalska, who is a 20th Century Saint who lived in Poland. She spread devotion to the Mercy of God, often called Divine Mercy. In many Divine Mercy images, the mercy flows forth from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Below, I have included an image of the Divine Mercy. The Polish at the bottom is translated: "Jesus, I trust in you". Jesus revealed to her that He wanted her to spread deovtion to Divine Mercy, and so she had an image drawn, and her dairy was eventually published. She also started the popular Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which is a recitation of the following prayer: "For the sake of His sorroful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world", which is prayed on the Rosary beads. For information on how to pray it, this is a link to instructions on how to pray it. For those of you discerning your vocation, whatever it may be, it will be a great practice to begin praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet, as this Divine Mercy flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

May you always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May God continue to bless you and may you remain close to Him and His Holy Catholic Church.

St. John Vianney, pray for us.

St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, pray for us.

St. Faustina, pray for us.

Posted by Bobby Murphy

The Promise of Obedience

2009-01-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

This past Friday, the Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood hosted and sponsored an "Evening for Young Men at the Seminary", which included a talk by Cardinal Rigali, Fr. Chris Rogers (the Vocation Director), a video on seminary life and discernment, a candlelight procession, and a Holy Hour. The night was a tremendous success, and there had to be over 200 people there altogether, and we only expecting about 170. But you know, it was a success not because of the numbers, but because I saw the guys who were there, and you can tell that they were touched, and their hearts were moved. And we got back many information cards stating that they were interested in the priesthood. Even though I coordinated the event, I couldn't have done it without my team of seminarians who helped me out with the procession and the Holy Hour. There are too many to thank individually here, but they know who they are, and I graciously thank you for your hard work.

Part of our follow-up from the evening is that the young men wrote questions on index cards. We have gotten at least 75 index cards back, so this blog will be used to answer some of the questions that were posed.

The first question: "Why is the priesthood like the military in the sense of being sent to a random parish and not being able to choose?"

This is an interesting analogy that you can use when talking about parish assignments. There are many things on which we can meditate from this question. The first is the promise of obedience that priests give at the time of their ordination to the priesthood. At the time of ordination, the candidate must make two promises, the first to chastity and the second to obedience. For many people, the promise of chastity is hard, and we will tackle that in other posts. Obedience though, can be equally hard, and from what priests tell me, the older a priest gets, the harder obedience gets. A man is called to serve a specific diocese, like the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Being sent to a parish and not being able to choose is a necessary following of this virtue of obedience that a priest is expected to take up. A priest pledges obedience to the bishop, so the bishop as a result, can send the priest wherever the priest may be needed.

This obedience is also practiced in the military as well. A soldier is sent where he is needed. When talking about obedience, there is the theological understanding of it, as a priest laying down his life, and being obedience, like Christ was obedient. A husband and wife are called to be obedient to each other, and a priest is called to be obedient to the Church in a special way. He is married to the Church, so when the Church needs something, a priest is supposed to provide it if he can. So, to go back to the question, it is a result of the virtue of obedience that seminarians learn before they become priests that help them take any assignment that they are given.

Obedience also points to an important to the truth that our life is not our own. Our life isn't intended to be self-centered, but rather flowing out to something or somebody else. When our life isn't our own, we realize that it is a gift, a gift to be shared. When a priest willingly takes the promise of obedience, he recognizes that gift that he is called to give to the Church.

Another point that needs to be made are random parishes. First, there is no such thing as a random parish. Every parish is there for the purpose of providing the sacraments to the local people as a way to help them to get to heaven. Every parish is important for this purpose. Some parishes might be smaller, but they serve the same purpose as the larger parishes.

So, we must ask ourselves, are we obedient? Do we listen to those in authority as a way to cultivate the virtue of obedience? Whatever you are called to, we must always remember that obedience is a prime factor in it, whether it be the priesthood, religious life, or married life. For those who have trouble listening, I encourage you to try to start listening and obeying. Obedience isn't easy, but by continuing to practice obedience, you will be made holy by it. Obedience isn't the end result of obedience, but rather being made holy is the end result of obedience, and it is through our sanctification (being made holy) that we can be given heaven when we die.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.

Posted by Bobby Murphy.

Daily Bulletin Interview With Fr. Chris Rogers

2009-01-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

For Vocations Awareness Week, the Daily Bulletin of Philadelphia published an interview with Fr. Chris Rogers, the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Here is the interview.
-Bobby

Sexual Sins

2009-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

Of all the blog posts that I have written on here, I may find this to be the most difficult, but just because it is difficult to write about, doesn't mean that I shouldn't write about it. For too long has the difficult teachings of the Catholic Church been ignored by the media, and by a good percentage of practicing and non-practicing Catholics. Even some priests are not free from blame, as some priests refuse to preach the hard teachings of contraception, abortion, and euthanasia, and for that matter, the Church's teaching on pre-marital sex and issues related to that. Now, I am not lumping everybody together, and I have heard priests preach on that, and how refreshing is it to hear that, instead of the usual weekend homily you hear every week?

Today I wish to do some writing on priestly celibacy. This blog had a comment last week that asked the question: "What about men who are sexually active? How can they possibly become a priest? How do priests do it? And who can we look to for spiritual guidance?

The first thing about sexuality that must be stated here is the Church teaching of when sexual intercourse is permissible. Sexual Intercourse is taught to be permissible when a man and a woman who are married engage in it with the end result of there being unity and an openness to new life. Sexual intercourse, or the Marital Act, is done for those two reasons, unity and procreation. This was taught by St. Thomas Aquinas, so this teaching goes back at least 900 years. We must further define the Marital Act: if the end of Marital Act is for an openness to procreation, then we must say that sexual acts that don't have this end cannot, then, be the end of the Marital Act. The most common example of this is oral sex, which, if done solely exclusive and separated from the marital act, is an act not open to procreation, and it is an act not open to union between a man and woman in marriage. These types of sexual acts though, can lead to the marital act, so if these sexual acts act as a precurser to the marital act of sexual intercourse, then they are morally allowed.

The other issue is when a non-married man and woman engage in the sexual act. For them, because it is not done under the context of marriage, they are not giving themselves totally to each other. Sex is to be reserved for those married couples because it is the greatest expression of love that a man and woman can give each other. This is why a priest is ordained. He is spiritually married to the Church so that from that spiritual marriage the Eucharist can come into this world.

Another important thing to consider is the use of pornography and masturbation. This is a big problem in current society, and it has led to the breakup of millions of marriages, and it has led to the downfall of priests. Pornography is the exploitation of women for the purpose of men to be sexually aroused by themself. From pornography comes masturbation, or the self stimulation of oneself for sexual gratification. This is a terribly addictive behavior.

There was a series of brain scans done on men who habitually masturbate and watch pornography, and they compared it to men who were life long cocaine addicts. The amazing thing is that the brain scans came back basically identical. An addiction to pornography is so addicting that it is like cocaine, which from what I hear is one of the most addictive substances known to man. I am not saying this to cause despair in men who have an addiction to pornography, but I am not going to sugar-coat it either. A man who has this problem has a huge battle ahead if he is to become free from this addiction.

Luckily, for those men who have any type of sexual problem, whether it be pre-marital sex, or the use of pornography, or even those men who struggle with homosexuality, we have some important weapons on our side that can help us. The first is the sacraments. I implore you men out there, that when you fall into sexual sin, to immediately go out and find a priest for confession. I have talked to men who struggle with this, and they say that when they fall into pornography, it can be spiritually deadening. It makes them even want to avoid confession because of the shame it makes them feel. Well, let me tell you something, that the priests are just waiting to hear from you. Not breaking the seal of confession, but a priest told me once that pornography and masturbation is the most common type of sin that is confessed by men. Actually, I think I read it in a blog. Wherever I read it, men, if you think you are alone in this struggle, you are not. Therefore, find a priest, and ask him to hear your confession. Confession is probably the biggest tool we have to combat this sin.

Another essential tool we have is the Eucharist. If you have an addiction to pornography, confess your sins, and go to Mass even more often. Go daily, if possible. The more we receive the Lord Jesus in the Most Precious Body and Blood, the more we become like Him in thought and action. We become more God-like. So if there is a big sin on your heart, confess it, and then strive to receive the Eucharist at every moment possible. In addition, find some time to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Try to attend Eucharistic Adoration. In short, keep yourself close to the Sacraments Jesus gave us for our redemption, for it was at the Cross that poured forth the Sacramental Life of the Church. It was the precious blood of Our Lord that poured forth from His Sacred Side for the Salvation of Mankind.

Now, when you are at prayer, the important thing to do is to pray ernestly for the gift of chastity. Chastity is that virtue which every man and woman practices. It is the use of your sexual gift appropriate to your state in life. It is designed to help us give ourselves to people more. A married couple practices chastity by ordering their love making in the marital act to union and pro-creation. A priest orders his chastity so that there can come from him totally inclusive love for His Church. Instead of having a wife, he has the Church, his spouse, and he is supposed to give himself totally to his Church in a spiritual, non-exclusive way.

We must pray for the grace of chastity. Pray for it every day. For the men who are reading this who are sexually active, there is hope for you. Your first step though is to seek out confession. For God's sake, seek out Confession, where you experience the healing love of God. And when you are forgiven of your sins, go to confession every week, without fail, to continue receiving the graces to live a Christ-filled life. And go to Mass and receive the Eucharist there, and pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament as often as possible, and pray for the grace of chastity.

There is also a great gift that Mary, the Mother of God has given us. The Rosary is a great tool that we have to help us in our sexual struggles. Start praying the Rosary. Go to http://www.militia-immaculata.blogspot.com/ for information on how to pray the Rosary. Praying the Rosary every day is a great way to battle sexual temptation.

There is also spiritual direction. Talking with a priest about your struggles will help you get an idea of what to do as well as a way to combat those sins. Many spiritual directors are specifically trained to assist a man in identifying those things which lead him into sin.

Now, prayer can take you a really long way in one's struggle with sexual temptation. There are other practical things you can do that can help you in your struggle. If the computer is a great temptation, get rid of it. Or, put it in the kitchen at your house, somewhere with high traffic. Don't put your computer in a small back room with the monitor pointed away from the door. If it is there, the temptation will be relentless. Put it in a place where you would be afraid other people would see what you are looking at. But really, if you don't need the computer (and you don't need video games), get rid of it. If you need it for school or work, put it in a public place. I heard a story of a kid once who was 17, and he recognized his addiction to pornography, who asked his parents to move the computer to the kitchen. They did so, but he still struggled. So he actually chewed through the internet wire to prevent himself from looking at it. The parents thought it was a mouse or a rodent! But be creative, and please, don't tell your parents I told you to chew through your internet wires!

There are also many websites that may help you in your porn addiction. The problem with them is that when searching for them, you may also come across an actual porn site and get distracted, and when you have porn on the mind, it isn't a good idea to then get on the internet, even if for a good intention. It is the same idea as not taking an alcoholic to a bar, even if he is the designated driver. The temptation is there. And try not to put yourself in that temptation.

I have focused on pornography, but what about a man who is engaging in sex with his girlfriend? Well first, you must tell the girl that you want to stop having sex and any kind of sexual contact. But sex is like a Lay's Potato Chip, since you probably can't have just one. If the girl is still pressuring you to have sex, you must put your foot down and say no. If that doesn't work, you should probably consider breaking up with her, if she won't respect your beliefs and values. I know a man who broke up with his girlfriend because she had different ideas about sex then he did; he wanted to wait until marriage, and she didn't want to wait.

I know many priests who were major party animals before they went into seminary, and it is through the above suggestions that they were able to repent of their sins and break their addictions to sexual things.

The last thing I wish to mention is the story of a man that I read about. He grew up Christian, but soon abandoned his faith and became a hedonist, getting pleasure in many women in his late teens and early twenties. He was a frequenter of orgies, and he tried to get the most pleasure possible. For him, it was a different woman every night. He soon settled down with one woman, but they never sacramentally married, and they had a child. I know his mother prayed ernestly for him, and she even got other people who knew her son to pray for him. Well, eventually he overcame his unchaste ways, and through the reading of St. Paul in the Bible, was able to be clean of his unchaste ways. I mean, this guy was so far away from the faith, and just totally immersed in every sexual pleasure you can imagine. Now we call him St. Augustine, one of the greatest saints of the Church. And we call his mother St. Monica. We can take St. Augustine as a great example of a man who fell away from the faith and immersed himself in every way sexually possible, and now we call him a saint for his great holiness. If Augustine can do it, anybody can do it. For spiritual reading, consider reading "Confessions" be Saint Augustine. There it is his story up through his conversion, so it can help you get a better understanding of him.

These are my musings regarding sexual sins, ranging from pornography and masturbation to pre-marital sex. This post certainly isn't exhaustive, and if you want more information about something I didn't explcitly cover (or even elaborate on something I did cover), please leave me a comment. You can do so anonymously, and there should be no shame felt about asking a question.

May you remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Saint Augustine, pray for us.

Post written by Bobby Murphy

On The Sacrament of Confession

2009-01-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

The Holy Sacrament of Confession has become a lost sacrament in the eyes of many Catholics. When I visit a parish and I see their bulletin, I am not surprised by the fact that any given parish may have confession for merely 30 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. It has been greatly de-emphasized. There are probably many reasons for the de-emphasis that has happened in recent years. The biggest reason, I believe, for the loss of this Sacrament is that the world somehow got the idea that sin does not really exist. And if sin did not really exist, then why is there a need for a sacrament to forgive sins?

Now, I am not pointing blame to the parish priests, who were probably taught this by rogue theologians of the last 40 years. Joseph Fuchs, a very well known moral theologian, propogated the fundamental option theory, saying essentially that a person is like a ship, and if our fundamental option is to choose Christ, then it would take a lot of the turning of the ship to not choose Christ. Essentially, a mortal sin might only slightly veer us off-course. Fuchs was one of the great moral theologians that was taught in the seminary, and his theology did a lot of damage.

Among the younger Church, we are blessed to be having a resurgence of the Sacrament of Confession. Unlike the older generations of baby-boomers, which were by and large individualistic, youth and young adults of today recognize the importance of community, and they recognize sin as a separation from that community. This community is the Holy Catholic Church, and grave sin separates us from it. We recognize that Confession is the reconciling of our sins so that we might be freed of them and enjoy the graces we obtain through the Sacraments of the Church.

Some may make the following argument: "Why offer confession? Youth and young adults don't really know about it, or appreciate it anyway. They would never come." For the last few years, I was privileged to take part as a volunteer at Mount 2000 and Beyond. This was a Eucharistic based retreat that was not only centered on the Eucharist, but also on the Sacrament of Confession. At any point of the day, from 7 AM to 11 PM, there were around 10 priests hearing confessions at any given point. The only exception was during Mass, where the priests concelebrated. The seminarians in charge of the confessional area and the line for confessions were asked to count all of those going to confession to get a rough number of the number of confessions that were heard throughout the weekend. Now, I must say that we capped the number of participants at 1,600 for the weekend. We do this because of the space issue we experienced. And wouldn't you know, that those keeping track counted 991 confessions that were heard throughout the weekend? And these were youth in high schools! Not only did we make confession amply available, but we also talked about confession the entire weekend and the importance of it. We also supplied confession guides called an examination of conscience. We recognized that a lot of these kids may not have been to confession in a long while, so out of pastoral charity we nurtured them and helped them along, that they would make good confessions. It was really moving to see the number of people who had their sins forgiven that weekend. It was very uplifting.

When I was in high school, I went on a retreat that one night offered the Sacrament of Confession. It had been a long while for me, and there were many things I had to confess, things that had collected over a number of years. What a great relief it was, that after confessing my sins to a priest, that he offered me absolution! I was freed of my sins. It felt great. And you know, now I am in the habit of goes at least once every two weeks, and every time I go to confession, I leave feeling spiritually refreshed, knowing the sins I committed were no longer there to weigh me down.

Now, going to confession can be hard. There have been many times for me where I think about going, but there is a little voice in my head trying to persuade me not to. Perhaps it is the evil one trying to put thoughts in my head; perhaps it was me trying to avoid the shame my sins bring. But let me tell you, of the hundred plus times I have gone to confession (I don't even try to keep track any more the number of times I had gone), I never had a priest tell me that I was an idiot, or that I should have a lot of shame. Every time, the response was a response of love and forgiveness. So really, my excuses for not going because of some sort of shame was completely unfounded. What I am saying is that, no matter what your sin is, you will be met with love and forgiveness by the priest who meets with you. The reason why priests post times to hear confessions is that they want you to go. It is an invitation to you and I to take advantage of this great gift of God to man, the forgiveness of sins in a very literal way.

Now, I do have to address this: some readers may have had a bad experience at one time or another of a priest who yelled at them, or some other insult. I am not going to condone or try to explain why a priest may have done that; I don't know why a priest would be condemning when you are seeking love and forgiveness. I will tell you though, that if you are afraid of going to a priest, please contact me, and I will give you the name of several priests I know, and you can arrange with them a meeting for confession. I know good priests in the Archdiocese of Washington, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.

For the priests who may be reading this, I have offered some tips that I hope you can use for the promotion of confession. Let me give you a few well defined ideas:
1. You must preach that sin is a grave reality of the human condition, and only through the mercy and love of God will it be possible for those sins to be forgiven. We have a deep experience of the love of God and the forgiveness of God through the sacrament of confession, since it is the priest who is "in the person of Christ". Preach this often, preach this every day, and tell your school kids. Tell everybody you meet of the redeeming power of Christ found in Confession.
2. You can't just tell everybody about confession, but you must provide resources to your parish and those to whom you minister that will help them make a good confession. The first resource you provide is your own priestly example. People recognize holiness, and when they do, it inspires them to do better. In addition, a good examination of conscience is essential; please invest in something like this. The investment will be returned 100 times over if even one good confession is made, which results in the salvation of a soul.
3. We must remember that Jesus did not hear confessions merely from 4-4:30 on a Saturday afternoon. Whenever the need for forgiveness was there, he was ready to give it. He didn't tell the people he met, "come back on the Sabbath, since I am not scheduled right now." If a priest is truly "in persona Christi", and if he is truly all things to all people, he needs to be ready to hear confession at any point of the day. When a priest is too busy to hear a confession, then he is too busy. The celebration of Mass and Confession should be the top two priorities of a priest during the day. Please expand the amount of time confession is heard. Do it before daily Mass, have a special night of Eucharistic Adoration with confessions available once a week. Be creative in the scheduling of times for confessions. And also be on call for that lost soul who may come up to you at the most unexpected time. When this happens, we must recognize this as a true moment of grace for that person, and if you turn him away because you are busy, you may have just lost a soul. Offer confession as much as possible.

Now, there is also a role for the family in the formation of what the Sacrament of Confession is. In the family, there is an essential role in the formation and catechesis of Confession. Here are a few easy, applicable tips that parents can use when talking to their children.
1. Pick up the Catechism of the Catholic Church and become familiar with Confession yourself. Understand what it is, why we do it, and what exactly happens. Also, before you can truly explain what Confession is, go to it yourself and see firsthand what it is. This is especially poignant if you haven't gone in a while.
2. At the dinner table, start a discussion and catechesis on the Sacrament of Confession. Start with the notion that sin is a reality, and that God loves us so much that He lets His priests forgive those sins, precisely because a priest is in the person of Christ.
3. Schedule a time with a priest when your whole family can go to confession. Of course, the confessions will be individual, but when you go as a family, you can further stress the importance of it. You can also use this as a nice family activity one evening, and family activities are important. Doing this stresses the importance of not only confession and reconciliation, but also it stresses the family. Also, invite your local priest over to dinner every now and then. They really appreciate that, and it gives your kids an example of a priest who really cares, which would further encourage them to frequent the Sacrament of Confession.

Now, I also want to address young men and women who may be reading this. You may not be a parent yet, or you still may be in high school or college.
1. Also pick up a Catechism and learn about confession.
2. You are at a special time in life when you are trying to figure out God's call for you. The best way to figure out God's call for us is through prayer and the frequent reception of the Sacraments. If you are serious about discerning the will of God on your life, then you mus be serious about the sin that may be holding you down. It is important, that when discerning and praying, to know that sin distorts our relationship with God, and so it is important to know that sin will affect our prayer life. We must, as a result of this, realize that going to Confession often will spiritually make us disposed to hear the voice of God. As a result of this, one of the best things we can do spiritually is by going to Confession frequently.
3. Know that even though you may be the only young person in line for Confession at your Church, there are other young adults who go to Confession. We are called to spread the joy and love of God with people we know, so we must act as sacramental missionaries, sharing the joy of Confession with others and encouraging them to go as well. You are called to be Christ to your friends, so next time you go to confession, invite a friend to go as well. There have been so many conversions that happened because of simple gestures like this. Be Christ to others.

And now, for everybody, we must realize that it is a priest who can hear and forgive sins in the Sacrament of Confession, or Reconciliation. As a result, we must continue that the grace of God moves the hearts of young men everywhere, so that they may offer themselves as candidates for the priesthood. And if you are a young man reading this, please consider such a charge for your life. We need men to offer themselves as candidates for the priesthood.

I hope that in my musings I have moved some of you to consider going to Confession. I like to say, that if my writing and actions move just one person to repentence, then my writings and actions are a success, but not because I made them successful, but because Christ made them successful. May you always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Sacrament of Confession.

Our Lady, help of Christians, Pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Raymond of Penafort, pray for us.

Vocation Awareness Week

2009-01-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

The observance of National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) began in 1976 when the Bishops' Conference designated the 28th Sunday of the year as the beginning of NVAW. In 1997 this celebration was moved to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Let us remember to pray for priests and consecrated men and women this week, and for married couples and families. Send a card to a priest or consecrated person this week, thanking them for the gift of themselves given to Christ and to His body, the Church, or invite them for dinner. Pray for more vocations to priesthood and consecrated life – and consider a vocation to priesthood or consecrated life!

Be sure to check out all of the Vocations Events in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by going to http://www.heedthecall.org/. There, you can click on all of our events. The dates for Vocation Awareness Week is January 11-18th, 2009.

In the Office of Vocations, we are especially focused on priestly vocations, since it is through the priesthood that the universal Church can have Holy Mass. It is not the role of just our office though, to encourage young men to consider a vocation to the priesthood. It is the role of the whole Church, from families to single people, from religious to parish priests. The fact of the matter is that vocations are everybody's business. The vocations office might get a man who is 18 and seriously thinking about a vocation to the priesthood; but what about the first 18 years of his life? It is through the example of his family, his parish priest, and other influential people in his life that will help the young man develop a potential vocation to the priesthood. The parish priests then have an essential role in the vocation of a young man, since more times than not, it is the parish priest who is the example of priestly holiness for the young man. Many people may know only their parish priest, so it falls onto them to give them a good example of living.

It also goes for the family. It is the family which is the seedbed for vocations. It is through the day in and day out of family life that will help train the boy to become a man filled with virtue and love for the Catholic Church. The family is called the seedbed of vocations because it is most often in the family where the first inklings of a vocation develops. The boy may only see their parish priest once a week, but their family he sees every day. The way a boy is raised is essential in the type of man he will become. As a society, we have lost the culture of vocations within the family. The family has become disconnected, and almost at odds with each other in the family. The family can also start to look for too many excuses not to follow the precepts of the Catholic Church, and it is in the family where a boy gets his influences. If his influences are bad, then it can wreck havoc on him for his entire life. One prime example of this is the fact that the divorce rate is as high as it is. Time and time again, there have been reports that come out that show the effects a divorce has on a kid, and yet, time and time again, a husband and wife opt out of it. As a society then, we must get back to the basics. I am convinced that when marriage is reestablished as the sacrament it truly is, then from that, vocations will spring forth. The priesthood and matrimony are dependent on each other. A couple needs the ordained ministry of a priest or deacon to get married, and the priesthood depends on good families, from which will spring forth vocations to the priesthood. So, if there is a husband or wife out there reading this, I thank you for your gift of marriage that you give to the Church, and I encourage you to continue loving your spouse, and may your family become a seedbed of vocations.

And finally, if you are a single man reading this, I do hope that you consider a call to the priesthood. I hope during this week of Vocation Awareness Week, you may take some extra time to pray to God for the graces to know your vocation. For you out there, please know that myself and the rest of the vocation office is praying for your continued discernment.

In the end, vocations are everybody's business. It can never fall onto one office, or one priest. We must all do our part to continue to seek out men who will give their lives for the sake of others. For more information on how you can encourage vocations, visit http://www.heedthecall.org/. May God continue to bless you, and may you always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

With the celebration of the New Year at 12 midnight Thursday morning, we say goodbye to 2008, and say hello to 2009. This is the time of year where millions of people make New Year's Resolutions. A common one is to lose some weight, but resolutions can also include trying to do more outdoor things, such as hiking and fishing. There are many resolutions that we can take up that will improve out state of life.

In the life of a Christian, especially one discerning a religious vocation, the idea of resolutions is not a foreign idea. At the beginning of every academic year, there are formation goals that the seminarian takes up that will help him in the areas of academic, spiritual, pastoral, and human formation. Most of the New Years resolutions that people take up would follow under human formation, that is, losing weight, or going to the gym more often. These are typical goals that a seminarian may take up from year to year. But there are also academic and spiritual goals that we can take up. Spiritual goals may include trying to pray the Rosary more often, or attending daily Mass more often. Academic goals may include trying to read an hour a week of academic theological inquiry. Like a New Year's resolution, a formation goal a seminarian or religious, or priest may take up help the individual to be a better person, and to live a better life. Nobody would take up a goal to overeat, or to stop going to the gym. Goals are designed to help the individual grow as a person. The difference though, between many New Year's resolutions and the formation goals a religious person may take up is that fact that many New Year's resolutions are not done in the shadow of Jesus. By the term, not done in the shadow of Jesus, I intend to mean those resolutions not done in imitation of Christ, and without the assistance of Christ. Formation goals, on the other hand, are in the shadow of Jesus. It allows for grace to help the individual to work on their goal, if the person asks for it.

The point I am trying to make is this: while New Year's Resolutions are not inherently bad, as we should all strive to do better, we should do this resolutions in the shadow of Jesus. We are all striving to be more like Christ, in our daily lives, and in what we do in life. Instead of making just another resolution this year, I would consider making a resolution that will help your soul. Praying more is a great resolution to make because by prayer we are coming to encounter Christ more and more, and in doing so, we are learning how to live like Christ. But we can also have a goal of losing weight, and to be in the shadow of Jesus for doing that we must ask Jesus for the determination to not give up and to keep going, even when we don't want to give up. Instead of making your resolutions self-centered, you should make your resolutions Christ-centered. As a result of doing that, He will give you the graces to be virtuous and steadfast in your formation goal, or New Year's Resolution. You will also strive to be more like Christ, who so humbled himself by becoming man. As a result of this great mystery, we can imitate Him.

In a God centered, Christian life, we are always striving to be Christ like. It is for this reason that we push ourselves so we don't become still in our spiritual life. It is easy to be comfortable. The challenge is to push ourselves in the way to imitation of Christ. So when making New Year's Resolutions, remember to make these resolutions in the shadow of Jesus, the Christ. May our goals always strive to help us imitate Christ, and may we remember that it is Christ's grace that helps us in our goal of imitating Him. May you always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. God bless.

The Advent Season Part One

2008-12-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Advent Season, the season in the liturgical year in which we prepare for the mystery of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. It is the time of year where Catholics all across the world prepare to welcome Christ, the Messiah. I was reading a little meditation yesterday in an Advent meditation book, and it said something interesting. While I can't quote verbatim, since I don't have the book with me, it basically said that the notion of the Messiah at the time of Christ had become one associated with power, making Israel to be a world power. That was the notion of Messiah. How paradoxical was it to have the Messiah come not with horns blazing, and trumpets sounding, but rather in a manger in Belthlehem, surrounded by sheep and farm animals? For Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and this is reflected even in His birth.

In the Advent Season, there is often the hustle and bustle of rougly a million other things going on. Parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas Cards, caroling, and many other things. To be perfectly blunt, it is the busiest time of the year for most people. As a result of how busy it is, even the most well intentioned people can forget to do things that they are intending. Often, prayer can be sacrificed for another 20 minutes of Christmas shopping, or for your neighbor's party, or for a host of other things which "seem" more important. But really, to get into the Christmas spirit, one must first truly recognize the real meaning of Christmas, and that is that it is Jesus' birthday, the day where the Son of God came into the world, not with horns blowing, but in the most humblest of ways. Once we recognize why we celebrate Christmas, that should move us to reflect more on that, rather than the number of Christmas cards to be sent out.

Now, by saying this, I am not saying that one should forget all of those other things that happen in the Advent and Christmas Season, rather, one should direct all of those fun activities throughout December towards the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Write your Christmas Cards, remembering to give thanks to God for the gift of His Son. Go shopping for gifts for others, remembering that God gave us the gift of His Son for the redemption of man, and that by giving gifts we are in imitation of God. Go to parties and give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus. And remember, please take some time each day reflecting on the real reason of Christmas, and direct all you do to prepare yourself for Christmas. Christmas is the birth of Jesus, and during this time, ask God to give you the graces to make you alive in faith, hope and love. Like Mary cooperated with God to allow Jesus to enter the world, cooperate with God to allow Jesus to enter your hearts.

When Christmas comes, may we be ready. May we be adequately prepared to celebrate that wonderful mystery of God's love. And when we pray, let us remember to keep open the movings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, that we may respond to God's call with eargerness and love.

For information on meditation books for the season of Advent, please contact your parish priest. Most parishes typically have meditation books available in the back of Church, and each daily meditation is typically less then 10 minutes, so it is a good way to spiritually prepare yourself for Christmas. I hope everybody had a joy filled Thanksgiving, and I hope your first week of Advent is one filled with joy and love. Please pray for me, and I will continue to pray for you.

Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood

610-667-5778

www.HeedTheCall.org

Priests exist for the Eucharist

2008-11-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

Being in my position, the notion of priestly vocations is something that is always on my mind. Mostly, I try to think of and develop ways for boys and men to encounter the living God, for it is through an intimate encounter with God that they start developing the notion of vocation. Vocation is a gift and a calling from God, and every person reading this blog has a vocation, because everybody is called by God to a life of holiness. This is the foreground to the Universal Call to Holiness. We believe that every person has the ability to cooperate with the grace of God to attain sanctity and zeal for the Gospel.

My job also moves me to consider deeper the notion of vocation. It is all well and good to develop programs designed to help men find their vocations, whatever it may be. There also needs to be a teaching and catechetical aspect when talking about vocations. The honest truth is that most Catholics probably do not know what a priest does from day to day. The average Catholic knows that Father Smith celebrates Mass on Sunday, but what does Father Smith do the rest of the days? Further, why does Father Smith celebrate Mass on Sunday?

I offer then, a little meditation on the role of the Eucharist in the life of a priest, and the role of the priest in the life of the Eucharist. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, wrote an annual letter to priests on Holy Thursday. The following passage is from the 1980 letter Dominicae Cenae, or "The Lord's Supper":

"Through our ordination- the celebration of which is linked to the holy Mass from the very first liturgical evidence- we are united in a singular and exceptional way to the Eucharist. In a certain way we derive from it and exist for it. We are also, and in a special way, responsible for it- each priest in his own community and each bishop by virtue of the care of all the communities entrusted to him, on the basis of the solicitude omnium ecclesiarum that St. Paul speaks of" (1980 Letter Dominicae Cenae).

One of the essential elements that the Holy Father is getting at is the reciprical dependence of the priest on the Eucharist, and the Eucharist on the priest. The foremost reason for the priest is for the Eucharist, that life giving Bread, which, at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted. The Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, but NOT in a symbolic way. The Eucharist is truly Jesus. The primary responsbility of the priest is to bring Christ to people, and he does this in a very literal way at Mass, since it is the priest who brings Christ into the world at the Eucharistic Consecration. He then gives Jesus to his flock, nourishing them, but not in an earthly way, but rather in a non temporal, heavenly way. For the Eucharist is truly bread from heaven (See John 6). In fact, I would say that the primary responsibility of the priest is to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, since it is through the celebration of Mass that results in the remission of sin. The Eucharistic Celebration is the Source and Summit of the Christian Life (See Lumen Gentium 11). Since the Eucharist is the Source and Summit, every other avenue of grace would flow from it. The ability to hear Confessions, a sacrament reserved for priests and bishops, flows directly from the life saving notion of the Eucharist. But in order to understand this last place, we must dive further into what exactly the Eucharist is.

When Pope Benedict XVI was just Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, he wrote a book called "God is Near Us". It is a relatively short book on the doctrine of the Eucharist. It taught me an essential element of what the Eucharist really is. God, in being all-powerful, has the ability of granting graces in anticipation of a temporal event. God did this in at least two places in the life of Christ. The first was that he allowed for Mary to be conceived without sin by anticipating graces that would be poured out at the Crucifixion of Christ. The second was that Christ instituted the Eucharist, and it was fulfilled upon his death on Good Friday, so through the Crucifixion, the Eucharist is fulfilled. The Eucharist is a sacrifice, and the sacrifice was fulfilled on the cross of Christ. When the priest celebrates the Eucharist, he is being crucified on the altar of sacrifice. He is acting in the person of Christ (in persona Christi), and every time the priest offers Mass, he is remembering the Last Supper in such a profound way that that same sacrifice is happening. The priest, being in the person of Christ, is offering the Eucharist, the remedy of sin in the world. And that is what the Last Supper is all about. Jesus came indeed to save us from sin because of the sins of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and the Crucifixion undos the sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of his suffering and death, and so this is the source of our salvation. This is why the priest exists for the Eucharist, since it is the ultimate offering of the life of a priest. And the Eucharist is dependent on the priest, since it is the priest who offers it.

The Holy Father John Paul II also says "The priest fulfills his principal mission and is manifested in all his fullness when he celebrates the Eucharist, and this manifestation is more complete when he himself allows the depth of that mystery to become visible, so that it alone shines forth in people's hearts and minds, through his ministry. This is the supreme exercise of the 'kingly priesthood,' 'the source and summit of all Christian life.'" (1980 Letter Dominicae Cenae). So the priest's principal mission is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the remission of sin. The Holy Father calls on the priests here to allow the Eucharist to continue to change their hearts. Any priest can celebrate Mass, but do we not become attracted to a certain priest because of the way he celebrates Mass? When a priest celebrates Mass reverently, it has a profound effect on the flock, as he inspires his flock to live a more Christ filled life because of his example. When it comes to priests, there is a certain quality that should be expected. It isn't just about having the quantity of priests, but rather the quality.

Jesus is calling good quality men to consider a call to the priesthood, and sometimes these good quality men would like to listen, but are so wrapped up with many other activities that sometimes it is hard to hear the voice of God in their lives. Our office constantly looks for busy men, guys who are out in the world making even a small difference, because it is these men who I can have confidence in being a good quality priest. When we present these guys with the opporunity for prayer and silence, they are sometimes surprised at what they hear. So, for you reading this, no matter what you state in life is, whether you are a man or woman, take some time today just to be quiet and be prayerful. Give God the opportunity to talk to you. A good relationship is built on communication; if one doesn't communicate with their wife or husband, then the relationship is in trouble. It is no different with our relationship with God. He is contantly there, ready to talk, but we always have something else to do. And I am at blame as well; how often do I open my heart and close my mouth in order to hear the voice of God? Prayer is that essential element in our lives if we wish to strengthen our relationship with God. Take time today and pray for a few minutes. And try to get into a habit, where every day you take a few minutes to strengthen your relationship with God. Our lives are constant discernment, where we try to discern and figure out the will of God in our lives, and we do this through prayer primarily.

So we go back to Fr. Smith. But who was Fr. Smith before he was called father? He was from a town which is very much like yours, and he may have been a parishioner at your local parish. The point is that every priest was at one point not a priest, and when that was the case, he tried to discern God's will for him. For some, the call comes early in life, and after a period of discernment, the man starts the process of seminary to further discern the will of God. Some men don't hear the call until later on, sometimes into their thirties and fourties. Some men are resistant, probably all men are at some level fearful. My point is that they were probably like you guys reading this blog. They were unsure, nervous, yet they felt that God may have been calling them to the priesthood, or at least to seminary to further consider that call. In short, they were like you. If you think God may be calling you to the priesthood, it is hard not to be a little afraid, but be confident that God's grace will help you along.

May God bless you and all of your endevours. Stay close to Jesus and His Church, and may Mary, the Mother of Priests, intercede for you on your behalf.
O Mary Conceived Without Sin, Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us.
St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.
St. Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us.

Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood
www.HeedTheCall.org

Mary, Mother of Priests

2008-11-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Today our office manager Lucille brought in a beautiful statue of our Blessed Mother to be put on display here in the Office of Priestly Vocations, and it reminds me the role of Mary in the life of priests. Mary is often called the Mother of Priests because she gives a man discerning a priestly vocation the example of what it means to say yes to God. We read in the Gospel of Luke Mary's radical yes, her fiat which allowed for the Son of God to enter into the world.

In this same way, a priest says yes to God every time he celebrates the Mass. The Eucharist is the perfect fulfillment of the life of Jesus precisely because the mystery of Christ can be summed up in it. Let me explain. Most of us know that the Eucharist is actualized as a result of Jesus' Passion and Death; it is through that that we have the Eucharist in the first place.

However, at the same time, the priest who says yes to God by offering Mass is bringing Jesus back into the world through the Eucharist, and in this way, the Eucharist points to the Incarnation of the Lord in a very profound way. So in the Eucharist, we remember the death and resurrection of Christ in a very real and profound way, and we also remember his Incarnation, made possible by Mary. Mary is the mother of priests precisely because she was the first to say yes that allowed for the Son of God to enter the world. The priest does this every time he celebrates Mass.

It is also important in the life of priests to be spiritually devoted to our Blessed Mother. By praying the Rosary, praying fervently for her intercession, and striving to love Mary as Christ loves Mary, the priest (and every person in the world) is calling on the best example of holiness (outside of Christ Himself) as a way to imitate her. When we pray the Rosary, we are praying with Mary, and meditating with her on the life of Christ, for the Rosary, though Marian in nature, is clearly a Christocentric prayer, as it meditates on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Mary wasn't merely a distant observer in the Jesus' life, she was a willing and faithful follower, being with Jesus at every great moment and every harsh reality our Lord went through.

She was with him his entire ministry, from the start of his public ministry at the Wedding Feast of Cana to the Passion, where she humbly sat at the foot of the cross, watching her son die. She was there at every moment of His life, and we can't forget that. We too are called to walk with Christ. We are called though, however, to walk with Jesus in different ways. Some are called to sacrifice themselves for their family, and some for the Church as priests. A vocation is truly the self giving of oneself for the sake of love. This is love of God, and love of His Church. Mary's primary vocation was love of God, which she exemplified perfectly with her example of saying "yes" to God.

May we always follow the example of Mary, our Mother, and Mother of all the Priests of the World. Please pray for your parish priest, and please pray for the seminarians. Also, please pray for yourself that you may come to know more fully your vocation. If you are a young man and single, seriously consider the possibility that you may be called to enter seminary and further discern the Catholic priesthood. If you are a young woman, keep your heart open to the movements of the Holy Spirit, that you may further discern your will, and seriously consider the possibility of religious life. Please know of my prayers for every person who reads this blog in their search for holiness. May God bless you.

Mary, Mother of Priests, pray for us.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us.

Jesus does not call the ready but the willing

2008-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

The following is a homily given by Fr. Tommy Lane. He is a scripture professor at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg. He is a priest of the diocese of Cloyne, Ireland, and he holds a license in Sacred Scripture and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology in Biblical Studies. It is worth a read by people, especially if you feel like you aren't qualified. This gives you an idea that God doesn't call us to be successful, but rather loyal and faithful. Enjoy.

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Year C
by Fr. Tommy Lane

Someone suggested that if Jesus had sent his twelve disciples for psychological testing this might well be the reply he would have received: Thank you for submitting the resumés of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have taken our battery of tests. We have run the results through our own computer. After having arranged personality interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant, it is the opinion of our staff that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the enterprise. They have no team concept. Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has no qualities for leadership. The two brothers James and John place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas shows a skeptical attitude that would tend to undermine morale. Matthew has been blacklisted by the Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, definitely have radical leanings, and registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale. One of the candidates however, shows real potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man.(Anon)

That assessment of the Twelve Apostles gives hope to us because if they could go on to accomplish great things for the Lord then so also can we. We are each called by the Lord at baptism and confirmation to be his “Thirteenth Apostle” so to speak. No one can say they are not suitable. If Jesus could use the apostles with their obvious weaknesses, he can also use you to advance his kingdom. God calls you to make a difference to the world, God wants to use you in his plan for the salvation of the world. Paul, who had been a persecutor of Christians and watched Stephen being stoned to death, wrote in our second reading,
“I am the least of the apostles...I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace he has given me will not be fruitless.”(1 Cor 15:9-10)
Will you allow God to use you in his plan for the salvation of the world? Will you make a difference?

Jesus called his apostles and they weren’t who we might consider to be likely candidates. Their weaknesses are so obvious as we read Scripture. But Jesus knew their hearts and their potential and knew what they could become and do for his kingdom. Jesus knows our potential and what we can do for his kingdom. Let us answer his call.

Jesus chose Peter. Peter later denied Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest (Matt 26:69-75). He wasn’t faithful. He lacked the courage to take a stand in public. Also he was impetuous and would say and do things without thinking.

Jesus chose Andrew, Peter’s brother. In John 6:9, before the multiplication of the loaves and fish Andrew said to Jesus, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Andrew would still have much to learn about Jesus.
Jesus called James and John. They were in a boat mending nets with their father Zebedee. Immediately they left everything and followed Jesus leaving their father in the boat. (Matt 4:21) But we discover later they were following Jesus for the wrong reason, they were looking for their own glory. In Ireland we have a way of saying that, they were only in it for the beer. In Mark 10:35 they ask Jesus, “Teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” Jesus didn’t say he would, he just asked them what they wanted. And then they made their big request, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” What confidence they had. And there was the time (Luke 9:53) when the Samaritans did not welcome the visitors Jesus sent ahead and James and John said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” It is no wonder that they were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder.” (Mark 3:17)

Jesus called Bartholomew but we know no more about him. He is mentioned as one of the Twelve but we are not told anything he said or did. (Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13) Perhaps he was a timid man of few words who struggled to overcome shyness.
Jesus called Matthew (Matt 9:9). Matthew had a past, he was a tax-collector before Jesus called him. If he was like any of the other tax-collectors he would have collected a lot more in taxes from people than he returned to Rome. We can guess that Matthew would have had enemies, many of them.

Jesus called Thomas. But he would only believe in the resurrection of Jesus if he could put his fingers into the wounds the nails made and put his hand into Jesus’ side. (John 20:25) Thomas lacked faith. Where was Thomas on that first Easter Sunday evening? Why wasn’t he with the other apostles?

Jesus called Simon the Zealot. (Luke 6:15) Zealots wanted to achieve Palestinian independence from Roman occupation using military means. Simon did not know that violence achieves nothing but only encourages more violence. He would have much to learn.

Jesus called Judas Iscariot. He later plotted behind Jesus’ back. (Matt 26:14-15) He wanted to force Jesus to bring about his kingdom. He wanted the kingdom on his terms instead of Jesus’ terms. He complained when Jesus’ feet were anointed not because he wanted to give that money to the poor but so that he could steal it for himself. (John 12:4-6)

Today Jesus calls us. Like Peter we lack faith. Like Andrew we have much to learn. Like James and John we are selfish sometimes. Like Matthew we have a past. Like Thomas we doubt sometimes. Seeing that the apostles of limited competence did so much for the Church gives confidence to us. If Jesus could use them he can certainly use us. With the intercession of Jesus for us at the right hand of the Father and by our spending time in prayer with the Lord we too can grow from strength to strength and accomplish great things for God and his kingdom.

Eucharistic Adoration

2008-10-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Suppose a young man is feeling called to consider the priesthood. While there are many challenging aspects of discernment, there are several things that the young man can do to further discern what God is asking of him. One of the greatest ways of doing this is through Eucharistic Adoration. It is in adoration that we see God face to face. As one very wise priest I know once said, Eucharistic Adoration is like marinating in the love of God. The Eucharist penetrates us, and no matter how many road blocks we think we can put between us and God, the Eucharist breaks through all those roadblocks and affects us deeply. There is no coincidence that parishes that have regular adoration offered in their parish are also the parishes that have guys enter the seminary. This fact isn't because there are just more vocations in their parishes; it is that young people have the opportunity to discern that call more often.

What a great treasure trove of graces are waiting for us when we adore the Lord in the Eucharist! For now, I call on a pamphlet written by Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh to assist me in the explanation and catechesis of what adoration is.

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

I encourage the reader of this blog to check out this outstanding article that he wrote. I hope your hearts are moved to consider going to adoration. May you always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. God bless.

A New Beginning

2008-10-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Heeding The Call, a blog dedicated to the promotion of priestly vocations, especially in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This is the official blog of the vocation office, located at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Through this blog we hope to do several things.

1. We hope to instruct the readers on the deeper reality of Christian vocation, which is a calling from God to each and every one of us. It is a unique call, and we all strive to seek what he is asking of us.

2. We hope to inform the reader about special initiatives and events designed for the promotion of vocations.

3. We hope to inspire the reader to take some time and consider what God is asking of them. To discern and follow one's vocation is the quickest way to sanctity and holiness, and we pray that this blog will be used as a tool to those people, that through this blog they may come to a reality of what God is asking of them.

We hope to do a lot of great things with this blog, so check in often. Until next time, take care and God bless.

STAYING AWAKE/ STAYING ALIVE

2007-08-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Seems as though the Philadelphia Phillies are "staying awake" and "staying alive". Two challenging demands not only of pennent races but of our Christian lives as well. Of course, saying "yes" to Jesus with our whole lives assures us of both realities. Thus, the real demand of the Gospel is revealed, to stay united to our Lord Jesus. Such is our Christian Vocation and there is no greater gift than that.

We have welcomed back to St. Charles Seminary, 42 Philadelphia seminarians. Men who have discovered that at this time of their lives, staying close to Jesus, being one with him, demands their presence in seminary formation. What a gift to the Church! What a gift to us!

What is it that Jesus demands of you at this time? What does union with him look like at this point in your life? Let us be sure to answer that question, so as to Stay Awake, Stay Alive and be that gift for others, in this adventure of "heeding the call".

A New Resource

2007-08-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new Heeding the Call blog, a resource for men discerning the call to priesthood. Please take a moment to look around, and feel free to post a comment, thought or question!

+ Peace, Fr. Chris Rogers