Christmas

Merry Christmas!! As we celebrate the coming of God as man, it is a good time for us to re-evaluate our own relationships with family and friends. We have been discussing intimacy, and at Christmas time, we have many opportunities to share intimate moments with those we love, especially our children. Christmas is a time when you are called to explain the true meaning of Christmas to your children. Being with family brings with it a special kind of joy and peace, but it really shines through when the mother and father have really shared with each other a depth of true intimacy as well, which will carry over to your family.

But at Christmas, with a society that has been decimated with the breakdown of the traditional family, you may find it difficult to really share that peace of Christ. St Joseph also found it difficult on the first Christmas two thousand years ago. He traveled with his wife over some rough terrain to bring her to Bethlehem for a census, and yet when he arrived at his home town, his own family and friends turned him away, which led him to find shelter in a cave, where his wife, having given birth to the Savior, laid him in a manger. The Blessed Mother, who always brings us to her Son, Jesus Christ, presented her Son to the waiting world by placing him in the very place that animals feed. Our Blessed Mother still points the way to the Eucharist as she places her Son in our midst at every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

May you have a Blessed and Joyous Christmas, and may the peace of Christ be with you and your family.

It's a Wonderful Life

It's that time of year. The classic Christmas movie, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, has so much to offer the whole family. Interestingly, the movie did not do well when it first premiered in 1946, but over the years it has endured and endeared many to the timelessness of the themes of family and sacrifice. To watch George Bailey sacrifice his dreams and remain in Bedford Falls, raising a family will bring tears to your eyes. Frank Capra brilliantly portrays small town life and the scraping by of an existence, but the true nature of what transpires overcomes the dull, dreary small town life.

For it is the belief, the very Catholic belief, that each and every life has meaning and that you are created for a purpose. It took George Bailey a financial crisis in his Savings and Loan to find that the answer to all his dreams was not building skyscrapers and bridges, living in the fancy cities. No, the answer to his dreams was always right beside him, Mary Hatch Bailey, and their four adorable children.

Imagine if you had never been born. You may not even be aware of all the good you have done just by your existence, and what you may think are inconsequential actions. Now think how different this world would be if fifty million babies since 1973 were born. It boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Intimacy

Matthew Kelly has written a book called The Seven Levels of Intimacy. He explains that in every relationship, there are various ways for you to share intimacy with one another, some healthy and some not so healthy. Ultimately, every relationship is about loving another person and your wanting to be loved in return. yet, there are many times that we try and hide from others, usually out of fear, which is a fear that the other person will reject you, and this rejection is a very powerful means for you to avoid intimacy at any level.

We begin with Matthew Kelly's first three levels of intimacy, cliches, facts, and opinions. These levels can be used to begin a relationship, one that has potential to deepen into something pretty wonderful. But the danger with these levels is that you may decide to use these levels to avoid any real intimacy with another person.

Christ the King

We celebrate the kingship of Jesus Christ in this last Sunday of the liturgical year. What does it mean that Jesus Christ is King? The short answer is that his kingship means that he is the ruler over your life. But, when you acknowledge his kingship, it is not so that he rules you as a tyrant. His kingship is not solitary. No. He has made you a king as well for you to share in his royal kingship. When you were baptized, you were baptized as priest, prophet and king. You are called to exercise your kingship along with Jesus.

But just as a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, you will not be able to remain in Jesus if you are not in agreement with him on how to rule your life. Basically, it comes down on how you rule your passions and emotions, and how you rule a life of virtue.

We have been discussing marriage for the last few weeks and now we are beginning a series on intimacy. What is it that you want most in your life? If you are like most people, you probably want to be loved. And being loved will go hand in hand with showing love. This is where intimacy comes in. It is a sharing of your life, of your hopes and dreans, of your fears and failings, with another person and allowing that person to share their hopes and dreams, their faults and fears and failings with you. When we then bring Jesus' kingship into our relationships, we will be able to share that intimacy that brings life, that brings an abundant life, to the person we are with. Abundant life will come through a true sharing of one's life with another, through love and mercy and forgiveness. It is the end result of living the fruits of the Holy Spirit: gentleness, kindness, peace, modesty, self-control, generosity, love and chastity.

Marriage III

One of the hardest things in a marriage is when one spouse decides to practice the faith while the other spouse is more lukewarm. The spiritual component is important for a marriage, and when one spouse is infrequent in the practice of the faith, it might cause tension with the other spouse as well as with the children. But, if you find yourself with someone who does not attend Mass with you, or attends Mass only infrequently, bring them to prayer.

No one has a conversion experience because they were hit over the head or the recipient of anger. If you truly want your spouse to pray with you and attend Mass with you, and you want your kids to experience the joy of our Catholic faith, bring joy into your discussion with your spouse.

Think about it, if you are constantly arguing and yelling and criticizing your spouse for not going to Mass, and you leave the house with the children in a fit of anger, are you truly modeling Christian behavior? How are they going to associate the attendance of Mass? A child would much rather be with the parent who takes them our to eat on a Sunday morning or go to a football game than the one who forces them to go to Mass while angry.

Prayer, fasting and the daily rosary are a good way to ask Heaven for help in opening up your spouse's heart to the joys of our Catholic faith and the joy of receiving our Lord in the Holy Eucharist on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

Confession

The Sacrament of Confession seems to have fallen by the wayside these days. It's unfortunate, though, because this sacrament has so much to offer you. Imagine if you never cleaned your home or your car, how quickly the dirt piles up. Then, imagine if you never bathed or showered or kept yourself groomed. How quickly, the sweat and dirt and unkempt hair would become unmanageable. It's the same with our soul. We need to keep our soul clean on a periodic schedule so that the effects of our sins do not stain our soul. Maybe you have had a terrible experience in the confessional or you do not see any value in it. Maybe you are convinced that you are a good person and not in need of confession. Confession is a way for you to check on your growth in the spiritual life and how well you are doing in living the virtues of our faith. Frequent confession can be a help in ending habitual sins, if you seek to put in place other spiritual aids to complement a good confession. Prayer, works of charity, almsgiving and the attentive participation at Mass with a good Holy Communion are all ways to help you, along with confession, to receive God's grace and love and strength to keep yourself away from even the most venial of sins. A daily examination of conscience can be helpful as well. Fr John Hardon, SJ, has a helpful examination at www.therealpresence.org and Scott Hahn's book, Lord, Have Mercy, also has some good daily examinations. Seek the Lord and he will free you from the chains of sin.

Marriage and Sanctity

Marriage is a sacrament. God offers and imparts grace to you and your spouse so that you will be able to live the life of fidelity, fruitfulness and unity as you bring each other to God. Your wife is a means for your sanctification and you are a means for her sanctification, but sanctity requires that you open yourself up to God. Can your marriage survive if one of you refuses to attend Mass and practice your faith? Yes, it will survive. But ask yourself, is it enough to survive or would you rather thrive; to be the best you can be? Do you want to survive the cut and be the last person on the football team or do you want to be the star, someone who is integral to the victory week in and week out? Do you want to watch the quarterback win the game or do you want to be the quarterback who wins the game? The church wants to not only help your marriage to survive, but she gives you the opportunities to have a relationship that thrives so that you and your spouse may live a life of complete and utter joy, even in the midst of the trials and sufferings that go with being human. A happy, healthy and holy marriage is one that helps you to love as Christ loves, to overcome self-absorption, egoism and the pursuit of one’s own pleasure and to open yourself up to the other for her pleasure, her sanctity and mutual aid and self-giving. In effect, it is to die to self and to live for the other in every area of your life, whether the other spouse deserves it or not.

Critical Speech

On this Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, we are reminded that the names of Jesus and Mary are sacred and holy, to be treated with reverence and respect. Critical speech, gossip, detraction are grave sins and one of the most prevalent sins in our country today. Yet it does not have to be. Language, speech, words, these are weapons that can kill, but they can also be remedies to a soul that is hurting. Imagine someone getting angry with you and yelling, screaming hateful words. What happens in your soul? Now, imagine how you feel when you hear tender words, words of love and kindness. Words can be that salve for you.

Within marriage especially, words can violate trust and rip asunder that union that you created on your wedding day. Our faith teaches that husbands and wives are united in one flesh and that this union is a mystery, a great mystery, as St Paul says, between Christ and the Church. Christ died for his bride. Husbands are called to die for their wives as well. Just remember how you felt on your wedding day. The heart is pumping, the joy is swelling, the mind is racing to try to comprehend the mystery that you are about to celebrate. The tender words that are spoken to your beloved on that day. Tender words that are loving and fruitful. These are the words that bring joy to your beloved.

Let joy reign in your hearts. Let the love of Christ transform you into a new creation so that you can be holy as your heavenly Father is holy. And bring your beloved to the heart of Christ so that you and your beloved may know the power and majesty of mercy, forgiveness and compassion.

Marriage

Marriage between a man and a woman is a sacrament in the Catholic Church. Marriage is the joining of two who become one flesh, a man who leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife. There are many issues that surround marriage as well as the preparation for marriage. If you are planning a life long commitment to another person, what are some of the things you would need to discuss? There are issues such as finances, where you are going to live, the kinds of careers or jobs that you will undertake, the decision to have children and how many. If you are a person of faith, the role of your faith will also play an important role in your planning for the ceremony, what church you will have the wedding ceremony, the kind of music and the priest or minister who will receive your vows. There are rules and guidelines in all faith traditions and our Catholic faith is no exception. We will be discussing some of these issues in our upcoming shows. If you have any questions or comments about Catholic marriages or mixed marriages ( a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, whether they be baptized Christian or non-baptized person) please feel free to leave some comments or email us at feedmylambs@ymail.com

St John Vianney

Today we celebrate the feast of St John Vianney, the Cure of Ars and the patron saint of all priests. Through his intercession, may all priests continue to administer the sacraments with love and fidelity.

We have been talking about reverence in our Catholic faith, most especially reverence in speech, actions and clothing while at Mass. There has been a survey that shows that 74 percent of the Catholic faithful believe the biggest problem in their parishes is the lack of reverence. This entails the lack of reverence in clothing as well as the lack of reverence before and after Mass. The noise within church makes it difficult for people to pray before Mass or to make an act of thanksgiving after Mass.

What is it you are looking for when you go to Mass? What are the things that help to make it a prayerful time for you and your family? And what do you feel to be appropriate clothing for a Sunday Mass? There are many considerations, and only you know if you are truly wearing your best clothes for Mass. There are no directives in Canon Law or the Catechism, but some parishes and some dioceses have mandated a dress code. For example, in Rome, you are not able to go into a church if you are wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts/dresses. And in Manila, the priests are encouraging you to dress in a respectful manner. Ask the Blessed Mother in prayer what you should wear for Mass. She'll let you know.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

One of our great treasures in the Catholic faith is our devotion to Our Lady. Mary is called upon under many different titles to pray for us, her children, and today, we call upon her as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Unfortunately, many Catholics have been neglecting her, believing that devotion to Our Lady is outdated and old fashioned. Some even say that she takes away from the worship due her Son, Jesus Christ. But every authentic devotion to Our Lady will ultimately lead you to her Son. Mary is to be honored as the mother of Our Lord, as it says in the fourth commandment, and she is only too happy to bring all of us who honor her to Jesus Christ. You do not have to be traditional or conservative to give honor to Mary. in fact, there are many Catholics that would be considered progressive or liberal that pray the rosary and honor Mary in many other ways as well. Mary transcends all labels, but Mary aslo keeps Catholics honest about the teachings of the Church. Mary would never encourage dissent from any teaching. To honor Mary as the Mother of Jesus Crhist, our Lord and God, you would necessarily seek to live and to accept all the teachings of Holy Mother Church.

Join us this Sunday for a new feed my lambs show. We will be discussing how to properly receive Holy Communion and the difference between receiving Communion in the hand and receiving Communion on the tongue.

Liberal/Conservative?

Why do we find it so easy to place labels on others? Within our Catholic Church, there has been an attempt to politicize our teachings and to place labels on those with whom we disagree. Pope Paul VI himself was characterized as a leading progressive (read: liberal) bishop before he was elevated to the papacy. He continued the Second Vatican Council, begun by Blessed Pope John XXIII, and soon after the council, the "smoke of Satan" entered the church. Yet, people on both sides of these labels were denoucning Pope Paul VI, especially in 1968 when Pope Paul issued his famous and prophetic encyclical, Humanae Vitae. Others accused him of being heretical because of the promulgation of a new missal, which changed many of the prayers of the Sacrifice of the Mass. This led to a mass defection of many priests and some bishops, and it has carried over today with many "traditional" sects, some of which have entered into schism. The best way to avoid being labeled liberal or conservative, progressive or traditional, is to think with the Church, and you think with the Church when you give assent to the teachings handed down through the popes and the magisterium. Doctrine cannot change.

Corpus Christi

This Sunday is Corpus Christi Sunday, a day of devotion and celebration for the Body and Blood of Christ. This Solemnity, which was encouraged by Blessed Juliana of Liege and the Archdeacon Jacques Pantaleon, who later became Pope Urban IV, and in 1264, Pope Urban issued a Bull, called Transiturus, which made Corpus Christi a feast throughout the Latin Church. We, as Catholics, believe that the bread and wine offered at Mass are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Jesus Christ; in effect, the substance of bread and wine cease to be as the bpdy and blood of Christ miraculously appears as food for the Christian, but God, in his infinite wisdom, knowing that it would repuslive to eat flesh and drink blood, decreed that the body and blood of his Son, would appear under the appearance of bread and wine, whereby the accidents of bread and wine remain even as the substance has been changed into our Lord and Savior.

There are many wonderful prayers, hymns and devotions that surround this great mystery of our faith. One such devotion is Eucharistic Adoration, whereby you are invited to pray and just be in the presence of our Lord, who is exposed for the benefit of the faithful in what is called a monstrance. There are many blessings that come to a parish that supports and encourages and offers times for adoration, most especially perpettual adoration. It is in adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament that is a remedy for the evils in the world and in our own Church. It is in the heart of the Eucharist that we will find the priestly vocations. On June 19th, the Solemntiy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, will open the Holy Year for Priests and declare the saintly Cure of Ars, John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of all priests. Please continue to pray for your priests that they will most especially be devoted to our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist.

Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday is here!! This is the day we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and we also commemorate the birthday of the church. The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, is the Lord and Giver of Life. we are able to pray only in and through the Holy Spirit. He has the power to change you, to transform you, to divinize you. he bestows upon you the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are wisdom, counsel, knowledge, piety, understanding, fortitude and fear of the Lord. How amazing that our God loves us so much that he would send these gifts to us. If you give your beloved a gift, would you not expect your beloved to use it? How would you feel if that gift, something that you really thought long and hard about, was placed in the closet and collected dust? Gifts are meant to be used. God does not want you to put these gifts of the Spirit in the closet so that they may collect dust. Ask for the Spirit to help you to use them properly.

The Holy Spirit is very real. He brings order to your chaotic life. He showers you with his love. He is the very breath of God, the ruah Adonai, and he revivifies your soul, dead to sin but now alive in Christ. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Keep that temple pure and make it a worthy home for the God who loves you. Come Holy Spirit, come Creator blest, kindle in the hearts of thy faithful the fire of thy love.

Motherhood and Celibacy

Mothers Day was a week ago. Women have a great privilege to be able to share in God's creative power when they, with the help of God, form the child in the secret of their womb. Mothers and motherhood have been under attack in our society, but this is to be accepted since fatherhood and family life have also been under attack for years. Satan has always and continues to try to destroy the family. We must be vigilant in our prayer life and in our own relationships with our families and loved ones in order to counter the attack on families. Pray the family rosary. Go to Mass together as a family. Parents are the first teachers of their children. Do not give control over to the school, especially the public schools, and think that your children are learning good values. Keep abreast of what they are learning and get involved.

There is also a connection between a disparagement of marriage with the disparagement of priestly celibacy. When one suffers, both are suffering. Despite the failures of priests in the news, especially the most recent one in Miami, allowing priests to be married is not the answer. What our priests need is our prayers. I think we do a disservice to priests when newspapers and news shows write about the priests' sins for the purpose of sensationalism. Priests are human and they sin. What they need is prayer, not sensationalism.

Join us this Sunday, May 24th, as we discuss the Catholic Church's teaching on so called same sex marriage.

Priesthood: God's Gift

Today is the Feast of St Peter Chanel, a Marist priest and the first martyr of Oceania. It is also the third anniversary of my ordination to the sacred priesthood. These last three years have been the most fulfilling of my life. There is no greater joy than knowing that you are in God's will and that your vocation is exactly where God wants you. Celibacy is a difficult way of life, but with God's grace it can be very enriching. There have been many arguments about celibacy and that it has led to a shortage of priests in the Catholic Church. I have heard many men say that they would become priests if the church ever allowed them to marry as well. But it is a distinct vocation. If we look at the other churches that allow married priests and ministers, we can see that it is a difficult way of life for them and their wives. They do an admirable job of living married life and ministering to the flock, but many wives of ministers will be the first to say that the husband is being pulled into two different directions. The Catholic priesthood is offering an ordained man the possibility of being able to serve whole heartedly. There will be a shortage of priests, and by the way, there is a shortage of priests and ministers in every denomination, but we are called to pray for laborers for the harvest for the work is plenty but the laborers are few. Celibacy is a great treasure and a gift for the Catholic Church, and when it is lived well, it brings with it much fruit for the People of God. Please pray for your priests that they may find joy in their priesthood and pray for an increase in vocations, that more young men may find it in their hearts to give themselves to service in the vineyard.

Divine Mercy

Alleluia! The Lord is Risen! we have celebrated Easter Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday, and I pray that your encounter with the Risen Lord was a blessed time and that He will continue to shower His graces and blessings upon you this Easter Season.

Divine Mercy Sunday is a powerful reminder to all of us that the mercy of God knows no limits. Our sins are like a drop in the ocean covered by His mercy so that it is never to be found again. The Father's mercy will change your life and bring you healing if you but open your heart to im and ask for His love and mercy to fall upon you and envelop you.

Many people, including deviout Catholics, are under the mistaken notion that Divine Mercy Sunday is optional and therefore can be dispensed with under the guise that it is a private revelation. It is true that St Faustina was given these revelations from our Lord Jesus Christ, but the message of these revelations come right out of the gospels. But if one wants to truly press the point, one can also claim that Our Lady of Guadalupe should be only an optional feast day as well since this is also private revelation, yet this great feast day is celebrated as a Feast in the United States.

In any event, I encourage you to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and to foster a devotion to this wonderful devotion of the Lord's mercy. It can be prayed on regular rosary beads. You begin with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles' Creed. Then on the Our Father beads, you pray the following prayer: Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. On the Hail Mary beads, you pray the following: For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. At the end of the fifth decade, you pray the following prayer: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world (three times).

Chrism Mass

Today, Sean Cardinal O'Malley celebrated the Chrism Mass at the Holy Cross Cathedral. It was a wonderful sight to see so many priests gathered around the shepherd of our archdiocese. His homily spoke to the priests about how we must be fishers of men and have a missionary spirit. We are not called to be caretakers and keep the status quo. The successful priests will be those who through their call and their missionary spirit will lead all the Catholic faithful to become missionary in their own lives. Have you ever considered how you live your Catholic faith and how if you live it with joy and peace, you will be bringing others to Christ in a world that has forgotten Him. Secularism is hostile towards faith in God, let alone a living faith in Jesus Christ. Please pray for your priests that we may be faithful dispeners of the mysteries of God as well as images of Jesus Christ, casting our nets out into the deep to bring life and light to those in darkness and sin. And pray for yourselves that you may be lights of Christ in your daily living of your relationship with Jesus Christ. As we prepare for the Sacred Triduum, open your hearts to the message of sacrifice and suffering that Jesus Christ portrays in a very real way. God bless you.

Pope John Paul II

Today is the fourth anniversary of the death of our beloved Pope John Paul II. His long papacy brought with it many challenges in a world that has disintegrated due to a lack of morality. In fact, many people, especially the young adults who until recently have only known one pope and who call themselves JPII Catholics, do not hold to the traditional morality. And Mass attendance is still dropping. What are we to do? Pope John Paul reminded us of the power of the Eucharist and the power of prayer, especially prayer devoted to our Blessed Mother. With the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother, and a strong faith in the role of the papacy, the life of a Catholic can bring with it a joy and peace that this world does not give. Servant of God, John Paul II, ora pro nobis.

More Update

Please keep Paula in your prayers. She has been having a difficult time shaking this pneumonia and it has brought to a standstill our production. We will be moving forward with a new show on the Holy Eucharist shortly. We greatly appreciate your patience and your prayers.

In the meantime, as we prepare for Palm (Passion) Sunday next week, I encourage you to take some time to prepare yourself by reading a passion account in the Gospel of Mark. Of course, a viewing of Mel Gibson's powerful movie, The Passion of the Christ, is also a wonderful way to enter into the beginning of Holy Week, now only ten days away. Jesus Christ suffered and died for YOU! The depth of His love for you continues in his Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It is here that he continues to suffer as so many people neglect or profane His Sacred Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Important Update

Paula K, my co-host, is suffering from pneumonia. Please remember her in your prayers and please be patient with the uploading of previously aired shows as Paula recuperates from her sickness. You can send her get well greetings at our email address feedmylambs@ymail.com.

Adoration

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has brought countless blessings to people who have opened their hearts to our Lord in His sacred Presence. Could there ever be a more beautiful and extraordinary love than our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, allowing Himself to be made a prisoner, open to countless abuses and ridicule and scourgings as on Good Friday, once again as He veils Himself under the form of Bread. All He asks is for us to spend time with Him, but so many either refuse His offer or do nit comprehend the majesty and glory of is Godhead present in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us pray for an increase in adorers of the Blessed Sacrament. Eucharistic Adoration is the answer to all our troubles.

The beauty of Mass

Many people will say that Mass is boring or that they get nothing out of Mass. Yet, Mass is Heaven on earth. we are lifted up to the Heavenly realm with the angels and the saints, present at the one and eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ to His Father. It is in our participation at Mass that we offer our own sacrifices to the Father as well. We are also privileged to receive Our Lord, Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, at Holy Communion. Come to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Come to the springs of Eternal Life. Come to the Heart of Jesus and receive His mercy and love. Mass is God's act of love for you. He gives you His Son in Holy Communion so that you may receive His very life.

Radio Show Week of February 8, 20009

If you missed the show on Sunday the 8th, you can hear it by scrolling down to the media player. The media player is located under the picture of St. Michael, you'll find the last three shows there.

Be sure to join us February 22 as we begin a three part series on the mass. If you've ever felt like you don't get anything out of the mass, or you are bored, or if you don't understand why you sit or stand during mass, then this show is for you.

This Week's Show

If you missed this weeks show, scroll down to the media player just under the St. Michael photo where you'll find the last two weeks shows.

St. Michael Prayer

St. Michael the Archangel defend us in the battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou oh Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Listen to This Week's Show

If you missed this weeks show you can listen here.

Prayer

Join us this Sunday to discover how to enter into an intimate relationship with our loving God. In any relationship listening is just as important as talking and this is especially important in our relationship with God. God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts; this Sunday we'll help you focus on listening to the Love God wants to speak into your life.