Holy Family

Merry Christmas!. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we also remember the Blessed Mother and St Joseph, the Holy Family. Many Catholics used to place JMJ on their assignments when in school, which stands for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It was with great joy that we honor the Mother of our Lord and the foster father, St Joseph. They lived fully the tenets of what a family is supposed to be. St Joseph was asked by God to be a guardian for His Son, and St Joseph raised Jesus, teaching Him about the Law and the prophets, taking Him to the Temple and loving His Mother. St Joseph lived his fatherhood as a chaste man, someone who sacrificed in order to honor and cherish the Mother of God. And Mary, as weknow from her Magnificat in the Gospel of Luke, lived her motherhood with the joy and the sorrow of knowing that her Son is destined to be the downfall of many nations, as St Simeon prophesied to her.

We ask for their intercession that our families today would understand the essence of sacrifice, as well as the essence of chastity. And this chastity does not begin only at the exchange of vows. Let us ask the Holy Family that our young people would understand the essence of chastity before marriage. It is no coincidence that with an increase in promiscuity and cohabitation, that divorce is on the increase, sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase, abortion is on the increase, and adultery is on the increase. And it is not only the husband who is guilty of adultery. There is an increase in adultery by the wives as well. Our families are being torn apart because men and women have no idea how to be chaste and how to sacrifice for the happiness of the other. There must be mutual love and respect, gentleness and kindness, and a love for purity and chastity, which, far too often, does not exist in the hearts of our husbands and wives.

St Joseph, you are the model of purity for men. We pray through your intercession that our men would be good husbands and providers. Mary, ever Virgin, you are the model of purity for women. We pray through your intercession that our women would be examples of purity and holiness.

Joseph's Lullaby

Mercy Me has a beautiful Christmas song, called Joseph's Lullaby, which takes the viewpoint of St Joseph as he holds his newborn Son in his arms. St Joseph seems to be the forgotten man during the season, as even our postage stamps have picture sof the Blessed Mother with Jesus, but Joseph was given a great privilege to be the foster father of God's Son, Jesus Christ. You can imagine what must have been going throough his mind as he held Jesus in his arms, and as he watched with love in his eyes how Mary held her Son in her arms as well. Mercy Me captures this in their Christmas song, and it is worth downloading to listen and contemplate on the words put in the mouth of St Joseph. If only our fathers today would be more like St Joseph, a pure, chaste spouse of the Blessed Mother.

reputation

It seems that people have no problem destroying the reputation of others, including those who used to be friends. Why is it that we feel free to air dirty laundry and frustration about friends with others, in effect destroying their reputation? If you have a problem with another person, then why don't you go to that person and talk with him or her rather than join in the sin of detraction or defamation with others. It all comes down to how we handle conflict, and frankly, many people, including those who call themselves committed Catholics, fail in handling conflict. It is very disappointing to find that some people have no problem throwing away friendships because of misunderstanding, a misunderstanding that could probably be cleared up with some honest talk. But even if you have no desire to reconcile, there can be NO EXCUSE for sharing in the sin of destroying another's reputation. During this Christmas season, let us search our hearts and find if we have failed in this area and seek out confession.

Advent

We have just celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and now we are really moving quickly to the Christmas season. Advcent is this time of preparing for the birth of our Savior. There are many ways to prepare, of course. But the most important way is to approach the sacrament of Confession. Afterall, Christmas is about Christ, and the baby Jesus, laying in a manger, points the way to the day when he will be food for your souls. To truly receive the graces and blessings of our Lord in Holy Communion, a soul purified and cleansed through confession will allow you to experience a closeness with God as you receive communion. Ask the Blessed Mother to pray for you that you may find a good confessor and that you may unburden yourself of any attachment to sin and to free you from any mortal and venial sins you may have committed. Mary always points the way to her Son.

Jesus Christ: The Answer?

The Prophet Isaiah mentions that when peace comes to Mount Zion, then the lion will lay down with the lamb and the wolf with the kid. It is the peace of Jesus Christ that brings to fulfillment this vision of all the countries living in peace. Yet, today we see so many countries at war with each other. We see even Christians fighting with other Christians. What happened? Why do we fight and spread hate when we claim to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? And with four billion people on this earth rejecting Jesus Christ outright and following other religions or no religion at all, it begs the question whether there is any relevence to be being a Christian. Of course, I believe that answer to be a yes. There is no other name in heaven or on earth that will save us. Jesus is the way to the Father. And for countries to live in peace, for Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Lybia, Syria, Israel, and all the countries of Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa, then this peace will come only when we all turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, and live by his teachings, and seek the will of the Father in our lives.

Saint Andrew

St Andrew, the brother of St Peter, our first Pope, was the one who in the Gospel of John brought his brother to Jesus. Any time we have a memorial or a feast of an apostle, it is a good opportunity to remember to pray for vocations to the priesthood. The Spirit is calling men to the priesthood, but many are not listening. For many, it is because of celibacy. It is true that celibacy is demanding, and for many it is a struggle. It would not be a sacrifice of it were not demandning and a cross. To be honest, it is a big cross for me and for other priestst that I know. There are many days that I desire to live the life of a married man with children. And every day, I wake up and once again commit myself to celibacy for the sake of the kingdom. There is much sorrow in celibacy and much sorrow in the priesthood, but there is also much joy in celibacy and much joy in the priesthood. St Andrew, pray for us.

The Pope's condom remark

There are so many articles coming out on other blogs, including Fr Z's and Amy Welborn's, as well as comments by Janet Smith, Philip Lawler, and Fr Fessio, that I would not even attempt to add my own two cents here. Suffice to say that the mainstream liberal media, as well as the more conservative Fox News, are purposely misrepresenting the Pope's comments. No surprise. The media in the US and Great Britian as well are hostile towards the Church. But even the more liberal Catholic newspapers and periodicals, as well as liberal Catholic groups, are perpetuating a myth of what the Pope actually said. It's basic common sense. The Pope would never say that it is a moral act to engage in any sexual activity outside of marriage, so for the liberal media to claim that the pope said that everyone could use condoms to avoid infection from sexual diseases is a lie. The example used by the Pope is of a male prostitute. Pope Benedict is basically saying that the prostitute's use of a condom would signal to his conscience that actions have consequences and that he might, just might, be having a moment whereby he would see that a need for transforming his life from a life of disordered sexuality to one of chastity is possible. As was pointed out by Fr Fessio, this is not even a lesser of two evils argument. It's a subtle distinction that is being lost on the large majority of people who live by the soundbyte and by their own need to justify their own behavior. If you follow the teachings of the Catholic Church in regards to sexuality, then the use of condoms would play no role in any activity, whether for contraception or for the protection of various sexually transmitted diseases.

not much to say

It seems that the days have gone pretty quickly since the last posting. In that time, I have been checking out Fr Z's blog, www.wdtprs.com. He has some interesting pieces of information there. One post recently was a eprson writing in to him that he had attended a confirmation and was disturbed that many of the young teens in the pews were playing games on the phones during Mass and even when approaching the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. What sadness!! It just confirms to me, though, that we do not have a shortage of priests. If the future of our church is to be made up of people who would rather play games at Mass than pray at Mass, then in a few more years, our churches will be even emptier than they are now. Pray not only for priests, but please also pray for an increase in devotion especially among our young people.

Hereafter

It's All Saints Day, the true meaning of Halloween (all Hallow's Eve), in which we honor the men and women who have come before us in our faith and are recognized as saints because of their holiness of life. It is a reminder to all of us what our true destiny is, and that is to be in heaven with all the angels and saints worshiping our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is a new movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, called Hereafter, which deals with life after death as well as near death experiences. It is a very powerful movie with some intense scenes. Clint Eastwood avoids mentioning any religious creed in the movie (except for a very short scene at a funeral with what looks like an Anglican priest), but he hits the spirituality of the question of what happens after death. Of course, in the movie are the skeptics, those who believe that after we die we basically become food for worms. Reading comments about the movie ons ome websites, you will also find that the skeptics are all around us, usually saying that Christians who believe in a heaven are delusional and believe in fairy tales. I have a difficult time believing that the Apostles would risk their lives for a fairy tale. Why would those eleven men, plus St Paul, spread the news about Jesus Christ's rising from the dead if arrest, torture and death were the result of their preaching? In any event, everyone will eventually find out for himself whetehr there is life after death. In the meantime, let us pray for the intercession of the saints that more people would come to recognize Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Messiah, sent by God to free us from a life of sin.

becoming catholic

Interestingly, I received a phone call from a gentleman who listened to the show on October 24th. He was not a very happy man. He took offense with some of the comments about the teaching of the Catholic Church. Correct me if I am wrong, but if you are a Catholic priest, then you would be expected to teach and explain the teachings of our faith, including the church's stance on artificial birth control, celibacy for priests, and the male only priesthood. He took offense with all three of these teachings, and he added the teaching on infallibility. Basically, as far as I understood what he was trying to say, he was arguing that the church needed to be more openminded and that if priests were married and were both male and female, then the scandals would not have occurred. I agreed with him that there were some people in the church, including bishops and priests, that had failed and were guilty of unspeakable crimes against children. You can argue that the system of a celibate male priesthood infected certain prelates and helped to foster an attitude that these celibate men knew better that the parents of those who were abused. But this attitude is also prevalent in all other walks of life and other denominations and other religious traditions. Children were abused before the time of Jesus Christ. Celibacy does not lead to sexual abuse. And for someone to think that abuse would disappear if women were ordained and held high positions in Rome is also highly mistaken. I agreed with this gentleman that those priests who were found guilty should have been held accountable and not only incarcerated but stripped of their priestly state. We kept going back and forth, but I think the biggest offense he took from my show was that I had said that I wish all people in Boston would be Catholic. Of course, I also mentioned that I have many Protestant friends and some non-Christian friends, and they are wonderful people and probably even more loving and merciful than some of my Catholic friends. It was a simple offhand remark of how much I love my Catholic faith and how I think that if it is lived properly, it can transform you into a new creation andfree you from a life of sin. If I did not believe that, then why would I be a Catholic, let alone a Catholic priest. We agreed to disagree, but I stand by what I said.

walls

One of the things that we are all susceptible to is putting walls up around our relationships. We use all kinds of excuses for shutting people out of our lives, including friends, and we justify our poor behavior towards them because they hurt us, in some form or another. Usually, it is a perceived hurt, which could be healed with sitting down and having a conversation with the person. But we continue to place those walls up so that we do not have to sit down with someone who has hurt us. Yet, St Paul reminds us that the walls are already down when we are members of the Body of Christ. So, if you belong to the Body of Christ, why is it that you feel justified in treating other members with scorn and disdain? Why is it that the work of reconciliation is out of reach? Why is it that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are not being lived? Only you can answer why you refuse to offer forgiveness and seek reconciliation. We are all called to bring each other to Christ, and to be Christ for one another. Love and forgiveness is the answer, because Christ is the answer.

so late

Here I am, ten days into October, the month of the Holy Rosary, and I have neglected posting on the blog. Mea culpa. October is a wonderful month, for not only is it the month of the rosary, but it is also the month of St Luke, who traditionally is the one who painted the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This is a devotion that means a lot to me, especially since four years ago, this month, I experienced a miracle in my life that was from the hands of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This miracle led to a conversion of heart and soul, especially in regard to music. Paula K, my co-host for feed my lambs, is a senior vice president of a Christian radio station, which plays contemporary Christian music, like Third Day, Mercy Me, Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp, and a variety of others. Now, there are many Catholics who would prefer that all music be of the classical, or Gregorian chant variety and that many of the evils of society have occurred through the advent of rock and roll music. And for many of these people, Christian music is only positive lyrics but they are intertwined with the beat of rock and roll and it is this beat that leads to the passions being ignited. I cna say that yes, there is a big difference between Palestrina and Jeremy Camp, and Palestrina is more uplifting for your soul. Nothing compares to Mozart or Gregorian chant, but the contemporary music of today on many Christian radio stations can also be positive for your soul and lead you to a worship experience of God in other ways. But I will say that the music at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should be of highest quality and uplifting of the soul, and it is here that Mozart, Palestrina, Victoria and above all, Gregorian chant, is proper and, in my humble opinion, which is shared by many scholars and liturgists, as well as Pope Benedict XVI, the best way of worshiping God.

Fr Tom Dubay

It is with great sadness that I write about the death of Fr Tom Dubay, a fellow Marist, and one whom I got to know very well during my seminary days in DC. He lived in the community next door to the seminarians and I would have conversations with him whenever he was around, for he was still very active into his eighties preaching retreats. He was always very kind and encouraging to me in my vocation discernment. His books are inspirational, and spiritually fulfilling. His love for our Blessed Mother and for our Catholic Church was also an inspiration to me. May he rest in peace.

some musings

I have just finished reading a blog where it seems that some women are organizing a boycott of Mass this weekend to show the Vatican that they (the Vatican) stand on the wrong side of the issue concerning women's ordination. They have also found some priests who are sympathetic to their claims and support their cause. But, as the Vatican has pointed out many times over these last forty years, the Church has no authority to change the teaching concerning women's ordination to the priesthood. It has been declared infallible by Pope John Paul II in his document ordinatio sacerdotalis. The deeper issue is one of the difference between what is authority adn what is power. The argument about the so called ban on women's ordination is one of power, and that women are being excluded from this power. But authority, esepcially the authority of the priest, is not about power but about service. A priest is a servant of Christ, and he has no power whatsoever outside of Jesus Christ. Yes, there are have been examples of priests who have abused their position and have lorded over the parishioners a power that is founded in submission of the other, but a true priest is one who will place himself under the submission of Jesus Christ and will seek to bring others to a deeper relationship with Christ through the celebration and reception of the sacraments.

A priest must also be male because the Mass is the wedding banquet between Christ and his Church. It is a Catholic priest who celebrates the Mass that stands in persona Christi so that the image of the man Jesus Christ marrying his bride, the Church, is one where for obvious reasons cannot be imaged by a woman, otherwise the Church's teaching on homosexual marriage must change. By the way, it is no surprise that if you ask those who support homosexual marriage, they would tell you that they also support a woman's right to be ordained a Catholic priest. And those who support women's ordination also overwhelmingly support homosexual marriage. Change one and you will in effect change the other.

division

Not only are we a country divided as the latest poll results have shown, but we are also a church divided. We are so busy trying to label others that we forget that labels are only one of many ways for us to avoid having to actually be kind to one another. This kindness, or lack thereof, by the way, is not only lacking in opposites politically and theologically, but it also exists in the lives of those who are purported to be on the same wave length. For example, if a person disagrees with you, in many instances you might use that as a justificaiton to treat that person with unkindness. There is a lack of civility in the way people treat each oither in the business world, in the church world and in the political world. Good people can disagree with each other on a specific policy matter, but to then use that disagreement to accuse the other person of being a liar, or being racist, or being difficult to work with, is disingenious. This is exactly what Satan wants from us, by the way. Division and accusations and labelling will never bring people together and do the hard work of reconciliation. St Paul reminds us that if we do not have love, then we have nothing. Bring love into your disagreements, and even if the other person does not bring love into it, take the higher road.

The Cross

The cross is the tree of life, for upon the cross is our salvation, the fruit of the tree of life, Jesus Christ. When you eat of the flesh of the Son of God and drink his blood, you have eternal life. Of course, this presupposes that you are in a state of grace and not receiving the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin. I know what you're thinking. How quaint. He still uses the term mortal sin. Well, St John, in his first letter, talks about two kinds of sin; one that is deadly and one that is not deadly. This is the basis of our Catholic teaching on sin being separated as venial and mortal. But, because by the Holy Cross, Jesus has redeemed the world, when you are in a state of mortal sin, you have access to the Lord's mercy and forgiveness in our Sacrament of Confession. On this feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross and tomorrow's feast of the Sorrows of Mary, it is an appropriate time for you to consider approaching the sacrament of mercy. The cross and the sorrows of Mary are closely united to the fact that we as sinners have crucified and are still crucifying our Lord on the cross, who died for us so that we could be freed from sin. Yet the sorrow of our Lord and his Blessed Mother is more intense for they have witnessed that despite this great act of love on God' part, there would still be men and women who refuse his friendship and continue in a state of sin. His suffering is that he foresaw that mankind would still reject his invitation of abundant life. Turn to Mary at this moment, for she will pray for you to repent and turn once again to her Son.

Patience

Probably the most difficult virtue for anyone to practice is patience. The patient man or woman is a person of peace and joy, even in the face of difficulties or evil. Yet, we live in a society where everything must be right now. I want it now!!. There is no waiting, there is no preparation, there is no willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Where does this "I want it now" attitude come from? The world is moving fast, and we think if we don't move with it we will be lost. But is this true? God's timing is not one of right now, or a demand for fast action. God is a patient God. He allowed the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years. He waited centuries before he sent his Son, born of a woman. He then waited another thirty years before he began his preaching ministry. And lest we forget, there was no sense of urgency in Jesus' ministry. He sent his apostles to preach the good news, but he also gave them guidance in prayer and in relationships. All relationships must be based on respect and love, even if we disagree with the other viewpoint. The anger that surfaces between people is an anger based on impatience. The patient man or woman will know that God is in control, and whenever we try to be in control of a situation, we deny the working of the Holy Spirit. But then again, maybe I am wrong. If you disagree, you be angry with me or you can ask for clarification. Let me know.

learning something new

Here I've been a proest for four years and today I learned something that I had never known. It always bothered me that Nathanael is the name given to Batholomew in the Gospel of John for his feast day reading, which we heard at Mass today. I never understood why we celebrate St Bartholomew by calling him Nathanael in this gospel, but as I was preparing for my homily today, I found that this tradition goes back to the Fathers, and they,also recognizing the difference, reconciled it by looking at the two names. Nathanael is his first name and Bartholomew would be his father's name, (son of Tholomei) (similar to Bartimeaus, which means son of Timeaus and Simon Barjonah, which means son of John). It makes more sense when looked at this was. In any event, as we celebrate another feast of an apostle, it gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are an apostolic church, and our bishops are the successors of these apostles. Let us pray for our bishops that they will have the courage to preach the truth of our Catholic faith in season and out of season. We must please God, not men.

The Blessed Mother

Mary, ever Virgin. Forever will all generations call me blessed. With these words in the Gospel of Luke, we begin the moment when our Blessed Mother, visiting her cousin Elizabeth, brings her Son to a world in darkness. She carries her Son in her in her Immaculate womb, the holy of holies, the tabernacle of life where the true Bread from heaven is nourished by the very blood of His mother, Mary. The Blessed Mother has been given many privileges, and this is only right, for she is the Mother of God, she is the woman who has crushed the head of the serpent, she is the woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet.

Mary is also the refuge of sinners, for her motherly heart, her Immaculate Heart, desires that all people come to know her Son, Jesus Christ. As she sits at the right hand of Jesus, taking her rightful place as Queen of Heaven, she intercedes for all her children. We need her prayers more than ever in this world. Women are worth more than what we are doing as a society. Abortion is never an answer, for it kills not only the unborn child in her womb, but it also harms her soul and her body. And the sexualization of the female body in all areas of our "entertainment" does not bring women freedom, but makes them slaves of the male libido that sees women as objects. Yes, let us pray to our Blessed mother that there be an increase in modesty, chastity and purity and an increase in men who see women as daughters of God.

St Ignatius

Let us pray for the Society of Jesus on this great feast day of their founder, St Ignatius. His spiritual exercises have helped countless men and women throughout these last four hundred anf fifty years to listen to the Word of God and to discern the movement of the spirit in thier lives.

The founder of the Society of Mary, the Venerable Jean Claud Colin, was very much influenced by the Scoiety of Jesus and the Constitutions of St Ignatius. Fr Colin used their Constitutions as a basis for the Constitutions of the Society of Mary. Constitutions are the written rules and regulations of the particular religious congregation, and they help to form the member of the congregation in the spiritual life as well as help to organize the internal government of that religious congregation as well.

St Ignatius is also the patron saint of soldiers, so on this day, let us pray thorugh his intercession for all of our soldiers fighting around the world, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Summer Days

Summer is a wonderful time to just sit back and spend time with God. Today's reading from St Luke recalls the story of Martha and Mary and how Martha is anxious about many things while Mary just spends time with her Lord. Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part.

The better part is spending time in adoration, just sitting there and allowing the Lord to shower his love upon you. You don't have to do all the talking. Jesus wants all of you, your heart, your soul, and your mind.

Be like Mary. Be quiet with the Lord. It is in adoration that all of your troubles will go away.

St Benedict

Pope Benedict XVI chose as his name the name of this great saint, St Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism. Today, let us remember the struggles of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, as he guides our Church. St Benedict labored and prayd in a Europe that was in desperate need of conversion. Today, not much has changed. Europe is decimated, and the faith has floundered throughout what was once strong Catholic countries. Secularism has become the religion of the day. This began even before the revelation of the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Church in Europe and in America. It really began with the Protestant revolt but was at its apex with the French Enlightenment and the French Revolution. But Pope Benedict has given us a blueprint for renewal in the Church. It must begin with prayer, followed by fasting, Eucharistic Adoration, and reparation for the sins committed by those in leadership in the Church.

Catholic TV

Yesterday, I was privileged to celebrate Mass for Catholic TV, which you could find at www.catholictv.com. It was the Mass of the day, but my intention was for the repose of the soul of my brother Michael who died 26 years ago at the age of 23.

Celebrating Mass for the deceased is a tradition in our Catholic faith, and one which has fallen by the wayside for many Catholics. It usually requires a stipend for the church, which can be anywhere between ten dollars and twenty dollars, depending on the church. The graces and blessings that come from the celebration of the Holy Mass are powerful, for both the living and the dead, and it is also a good reminder for all of us to keep in prayer all of our loved ones.

The traditional language is that of the Church Triumphant, already in Heaven, the Church Militant, the living persons on earth, and the Church Suffering, the souls who are in Purgatory. We are all united, and we can pray for each other. Our prayers for the dead are efficacious, and through our prayers, we can aid the suffering souls as they are preparing for the moment when they will be in the Presence of God. Purgatory is a misunderstood doctrine of our faith, but it is biblical, and it is a means for souls who did not die on the state of grace to be purified so that they could see God in all His glory.

If you have a loved one that has died, consider calling your parish and having some Masses said for him or her.

Mundelein

I have been in Mundelein for a week retreat with my fellow Marists. Retreats are a wonderful way to really recharge yourself spiritually, especially if you find a retreat house located in the country. We have a beautiful lake here with a three mile hike around it. There are plenty of deer walking around the grounds as well. It is very peaceful and relaxing, giving me ample time to pray, meditate and converse with God, as well as connect with fellow Marists that I have not seen in a couple of years. Ideally, a retreat would be one where you find solitude, but this retreat was combined with a gathering so that we can have good old fashioned fellowship and share with each other our joys and struggles in our various ministries.

Retreats can be directed or they can be private. Basically it is up to you and what works for you. In any event, it is a time for you to read the Sacred Scriptures as well as some other spiritual works. I have been reading Scott Hahn's book, First Comes Love and Vinny Flynn's book, Seven Secrets of the Eucharist.


If you ever have the opportunity to go on a retreat, whether it is a weekend retreat or a week long retreat, you should take advantage of it. You will experience many blessings in the silence and solitude of being with God.

Father's Day 2010

Today, let us remember all of our fathers, both living and deceased, as well as all thoe men who are father figures in our lives. Catholic priests are also called father, for their spiritual fatherhood in bringing manhy children into the church through baptism, and feeding them through the Eucharist, and healing them through confession and anointing of the sick.

Father's Day is also a good reminder for us to pray for the children who have absentee fathers, or are children of divorced parents. Our children, both boys and girls, need their fathers, but they especially need their fathers to show love to their mothers. The greatest threat to society and family today is the increase broken families and children being shuffled back and forth between homes to visit their parents.

It is never too late to start being a father. It is never too late to reconcile with the mother of your children if you are having marital problems. All things are possible with God.

some musings

It's been quite a spring, and now that the Year for Priests is finally concluded with the solemnity of the Sacred Heart last Friday, it is imperative that we continue to pray for the new springtime in our church, and for more priests devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is difficult being a priest today, but it is rewarding.

My former spiritual director, Monsignor Charles Pope of Washington DC, has an interesting article on the Archdiocese of Washington DC website's blog concerning appropriate dress for Mass. We have done a show on reverence in dress for feed my lambs, and, as the comments on Monsignor Pope's article attests, whenever a priest broaches the subject of dress, it creates quite a stir. So what is the proper dress for a person attending Mass? That's something that you know deep in your own heart. There are different varieties of dress and different circumstances such as the weather, the culture/country, and the financial situation of the family. But in each case, proper attire is something to strive for. Should we be happy that they are at least attending Mass? And what they are wearing has no bearing on worship? Yes and no. Yes, it's great that people are attending Mass instead of finding something else to do. But think about what you wear every day during the week for each and every thing that you do and place that you go, and then ask yourself, what are we doing at Mass?

If Mass is an act of worship of the God who loves us and died for us so that we could feast on his Sacred Body and Blood; if Mass is the wedding feast of the Lamb, and we are there to thank God for his death and resurrection, I would think that Mass is something special, something wonderful, something so totally amazing that it would require us to treat it as something different from a barbecue, or a sporting event, or a walk on the beach.

The abuse scandals

I have been doing research for an upcoming show on the abuse in the Catholic Church. It saddens me to have to do the research and read about the moral failings and criminal activities of my brother priests and the alleged cover up by some of the bishops. There is anger over this issue, and rightfully so. The pain of the victims can only lead to a broken heart for those of us who love the priesthood. How can a man, ordained as a priest, as a man of God, who is to preach the Good News and to bring others to Christ, who is called to protect the innocence and the chastity of all God's people, especially the children, how can he violate that trust and destroy the chastity and the faith of these little ones who Jesus called unto himself?

Our Church needs pruning. Our Church needs holy priests who will live the message of the Gospel and not abuse others, especially our children. Our Church needs to make sure that this never happens again, and if it does, if an allegation is proven to be true, this priest must sit in judgment for his crime.

There are no excuses, but there is need for sanity. We need solutions that will protect our children. The argument that celibacy leads to sexual abuse is fallacious. Most of the cases of abuse of children have happened at the hands of married men. And women deserve better than the argument that if a priest were to be able to marry he would not abuse children.

Sunday Homilies

My Sunday homilies are now being posted on the Church website. If you would like to hear the homilies, please visit www.olvboston.com.

St Philip Neri

Today we honor a saintly priest who lived in Rome during the middle of the 1500's, when Catholicism was recovering from the Protestant Revolution, and when St Ignatius was beginning the foudnations of the Society of Jesus in Spain. He was a joyful priest, finding in his vocation the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit.

His is an example for all of us to know that whatever vocation is yours, find peace and joy in your work. Many people are miserable in their careers, but they stay in it, usually because of the money. Love what you do, as long as it builds up the Kingdom of God and does not lead to immorality. And pray for your priests. we need more priests to be cheerful in their vocation. In fact, this is the antidote the shortage of vocations. Young men will be attracted to serving God as a Catholic priest if they find other Catholic priests to be happy and joyful.

Mother's Day

Another year has gone by and we are celebrating Mother's Day, 2010. In this past year, motherhood is still disparaged throughout our society, and many news outlets are calling new pro-life measures in some states harmful to women. And with divorce and absent fathers, many women are trying to raise children on thier own and they are not getting much help. Even in the families where the fathers are present, many mothers are frustrated and exhausted.

God's original plan for motherhood was not to be this way. A mother is to be united with her husband the two shall become one flesh. Fathers are called to be a support for their wives, who are the mothers of their children. And mothers are, in the words of Pope John Paul II, the heart of the home.

The dignity and respect that we owe all women is immeasurable, especially in light of salvation history, when God, in the fullness of time, sent his Son, born of a woman. With Mary as the model for all mothers, we can see that society has fallen a long way away from the dignity of womankind.

During this month of May, let us turn to the Blessed Mother, and ask her for her intercession for an increase in respect for women and an increase in a culture of life where women will not turn to abortion but have loving fathers who are willing to be there for the children that are conceived. Mothers are a precious gift, for it is thorugh a mother that she becomes a co-creator with God, knitting a child in her womb and carrying her child for nine months, so that with each child born, our world is changed.

Let also pray for all mothers, both living and deceased on this Mother's Day.

St Peter Chanel/St Louis de Montfort

On this eve of the feast day of two great Marian saints, St Peter Chanel and St Louis de Montfort, we can meditate on not only their lives but on the Blessed Mother herself. Our Lady called these two men to become priests, to bring her Son into the world through their sacred hands as they celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These two saints were completely devoted to the Holy Eucharist as well as devoted to Our Lady.

St Peter Chanel, a Marist, became a missionary and traveled to the South Pacific, in particular, to the island of Futuna, where he was martyred, and where the Catholic faith, through his efforts, has blossomed. He is the patron saint of Oceania.

St Louis de Montfort wrote the treatise, True Devotion to Mary, and many people have used his formula for consecration to the Blessed Mother. In fact, he was very influential on the thought of the founder of the Marists, the Venerable Jean Claude Colin.

It is with great joy that I remember both of these saints tomorrow, April 28th, for it is the anniversary of my own ordination to the priesthood, and I know that just as Our Lady inspired these two saints to become priests of her Son, Mary has also invited me to become a priest in her order, the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers).

It is also a joy to know that in a few days we will be celebrating the Month of Mary. We are in need of her prayers. Let us turn to her during this month of May and ask for her intercession and her guidance as our Church is undergoing a purification. And let us pray that especially in this Year of Priests that our priests will be devoted to her Immaculate Heart.

April Showers

It's been an interesting April so far, personally and professionally. Let's talk about something else, though. There has been a lot of press recently once again concerning the scandals in the church, and, as it does so many times, it has brought out the people who want to link the abuse with the church's teaching on priestly celibacy. This is a flawed argument. Celibacy does not cause abuse of children, as we see from so many other examples of abuse in our school systems, other groups, religious and secular, and even on our own families.

What we need at this time is prayer. Have there been problems with how the church has handled these cases, many from decades ago? It's easy to blame the church, yes. Has the church learned how to handle these problems in the last fifteen years? Again, yes. Many of these cases are cases that happened many years ago. That does not make them right, and we as Catholics have a right to be angry with the situation that has befallen our church.

But being angry must be productive. Arguing through your anger that priests must be allowed to marry and women must be ordained priests are simplistic. Demanding certain bishops and even the pope to resign is also not the answer. Putting policies in place that will protect our children is a given. There is no excuse for child abuse, whether it is at the hands of a priest or any other man, or even women for that matter. There is no excuse for covering up the sins and allowing the perpetrators to continue in their work.

The church is in the midst of being pruned. Our pope has asked for forgiveness in the name of the church and in the name of the bishops and priests who have been responsible for neglecting and harming the souls of the children. Do we have a right to be angry? Yes. Do we need to forgive? Yes.

The priesthood is a wonderful calling and many men have given thier lives in selfless service for the people of God. Celibacy is a beautiful gift of the Holy Spirit, and one that requires a strong spiritual life to succeed. Pray for your priests, especially that they be holy, faithful and chaste.

Easter Octave

The Resurrection!! Alleluia!!! Jesus is Risen!!!

God has been faithful to his promise. With the Resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, God has given us a great gift, and that is the gift of himself. He has reconciled the world to himself through his Son's obedience, and with the Resurrection, he has also given us the means to grow in his love through the sacraments. You are no longer bound and chained in sin. You have the ability to live in the freedom of the sons of God. This was all made possible through the cross, through Jesus' suffering and death.

As we celebrate this octave of Easter, let us live in the joy and peace of the Risen Lord. And let us also prepare oursleves to celebrate the great feast of Divine Mercy Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter and the final day of the octave. No matter your sinful life, no matter what you have done or are still doing, when you give yourself to the Lord and entrust yourself to his Divine Mercy, you will be cleansed and made new. See the Lord with a repentant heart and allow him to cleanse you, allow him to make you whole, allow him to give you the abundant life of living in the truth.

Our Lord is Risen! He has truly Risen!!

Annunciation

Now is the time we need to pray! Let's ask the Blessed Mother to intercede for us as we offer roasries for the life of the unborn.

The Annunciation is a most wonderful feast day. Tne joy that comes to you when you hear for the first time that you are going to have a child. There is, of course, a moment of terror; especially if the child is your first. How are you going to raise the child? What are your dreams and hopes for your child? Are you ready to be a parent? Yet, the news of conceiving is joyous, and it was joyous as well for not only Mary, but for all of heaven, as they waited for her answer, her "yes." Ask the Blessed Mother to pray for you as well as you begin or as you continue your life as a father or as a mother. And pray for your children every day.

Eight is Enough

Just watched the opening theme song from Eight is Enough on youtube. That was such a great show. I always identified with the show because I was also one of eight children. It was a great family drama/comedy that really highlighted relationships especially between brothers and sisters. They don't make shows like this any more.

As Holy Week approaches, it is a good time for us to reflect on the role family has in our own lives. Families are the domestic church, and it is here that we first hear about God, about Jesus Christ, and about sacrifice. At least, ideally, this is where we first hear about these things.

Sacrifice is very important in a family. We are born and immediately become selfish. We cry when we are hungry, when we are tired, when we need to be changed and when we just want to be held. As we go through the early years, we are still self-centered and want things to be our way. But our parents are responsible for teaching us that as a member of a family, you have certain chores and responsibilities that you are given. It is also through their love for you that they teach you discipline so that you can see that other people and other people's feelings, do matter. Sacrifice is when you realize that you are not to always get things your own way but that you are willing to take a back seat and allow someone else to have their way.

When sacrificing entails fasting and almsgiving as well, you learn to think of others while at the same time you deprive yourself of a good. It is here, when done with the right intention, that you grow in relationship with our loving God as well as learning to love others in our lives. And this is the message of the Gospel: Love God with your whole, heart, mind, soul and body and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Are we there yet?

It seems spring is finally around the corner, and with spring comes a fresh outlook. The warmer weather brings sunnier dispositions. As we continue our journey through Lent, there are many things we can work on in our spiritual life. Lent is a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is a time for you to spiritually renew your relationship with God and with your neighbor, and if you are married, your spouse. Ask yourself, is God first in your life? And if not, why not? When God comes first, it is not at the expense of your spouse, for your spouse will receive many benefits if they see that you are in relationship with our Creator. He has brought you and your spouse together, and he is the one who keeps you together, if you ask him to be a part of the marriage.



Last week, we ran an episode on theology of the body. This is a very important teaching from Pope John Paul II, concerning how we relate to each other, within marriage as well as outside of marriage. How do you view your body? And how you view your own body will in many cases determine how you view the body of members of the opposite sex, especially your spouse's.



We will never change the culture of death until we begin to change ourselves and transform our own marriages into a culture of life. Culture has taken away from you your self-worth because culture has decided that it knows the difference between good and evil, and it is opposite what our Catholic Church teaches. Know what our faith teaches, study it, pray about it, and then live it. It is the only true path to true freedom.

Labels

We have a tendency to hide behind labels. It is a normal security measure, for if you are able to label someone, you don't have to worry about meeting them where they are. You can be secure in feeling superior because you think differently than they do.



The use of labels will also affect our friendships as well. But, the highest form of friendship, that between a husband and a wife, will be affected by labels and by a difference in opinion in how to raise children. It could be something as simple as the kind of music and movies you allow your children to listen to and watch, or it can get more difficult in regards to books, especially books like Harry Potter. If you and your spouse are not on the same page, your children will sense it. How many times does a child play one parent off of another, without their even knowing it?



But it is a result of the lack of communication between a husband and a wife. It's not a critique or a condemnation. It's just an observation that is played out in many instances and is easily witnessed.



Love one another as I have loved you, says our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Occult

We are in the midst of a very dangerous world, with an ever increasing population that is seeking out the occult and witchcraft in large numbers. This has been an effect of the Harry Potter phenomenon, as well as other movies, television shows and books that have really jazzed up this movement to be something good. What it has done, in all actuality, is bring our young people into the realm of the devil, without their or their parents even knowing it. If you heard the show on the occult, you would have learned that people like Steve Wood and others have been involved in the occult or have ministered to those stuck in the occult, and they have seen the dangers of the movement for the well being of the young people, many of whom become depressed, angry and suicidal.



Reading books like Harry Potter is not harmless. Some people may be able to read these books and not be affected, but the majority of young people are impressionable and will seek out more information concerning witchcraft and spells. If you know anyone involved in the occult, pray some deliverance prayers for their release from the devil's grasp.



Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. What the people who seek out the occult are looking for, they will find in Jesus Christ. Sadly, many people seek out the occult to destroy Christianity, and you will find this even in our own Catholic Church, Catholic schools, and some orders of nuns. Extreme feminism has joined hand in hand with the occult and New Age movements. Our young people are being exposed to the occult in the classrooms, by people who claim to be Catholic. As a parent, it is your obligation to find out the teachers your child has and to make sure that they are not teaching your child anything contrary to the faith. And pray, pray and pray. Ask for the protection of St Michael, the Archangel and of our Blessed Mother so that the souls of your children will be protected from the evil influences that surround them. And probably most important, expose your children to good novels and books, like Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, or C. S Lewis' Narnia books. Michael O'Brien has written a very helpful book as well, called A landscape of Dragons: The Battle for your Child's Mind.

We have We Gone Wrong?

It seems that our young children, especially our teenagers, are falling into peer pressure and making bad choices because of a feeling that they are not loved or respected by their parents. It can be difficult, because I know that every parent believes that he or she truly loves their children. And I am also fully aware that as a parent, you are called to enforce the rules and hand out discipline whenever your children are not behaving. You are called to discipline and Scripture even says, "Spare the rod, and spoil the child." But this rod of discipline is not about punishing your children with physical punishment. The rod was a stick used by the shepherds to gently lead their sheep in the direction they wanted. When the sheep strayed off course, the shepherd would let them know that they needed to come back on the right path. You are the shepherd of your children, and you are called to the authority of leading your children down the right path, using your rod to prod them back.

Once again, it is all about communication. When you build a relationship of trust with your children and have open and honest communication starting when they are very young, they will also return that trust and share with you some of the pressures that they are experiencing. Yes, they will at times fall into this peer pressure, and they will seek to be more independent, but they will also seek your love and security to help them when they make mistakes.

Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and promiscuity are only three of the dangers that your teenager is exposed to. Another danger, and one that is growing at an alarming rate, is the occult. We will talk about this danger in an upcoming show.

Our Greatest Gift

Children are God's greatest gift to us. They are precious treasures and our most valuable resource. They are also under attack. We just finished commemorating the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion without limits. That was only the beginning. Through the last three decades, our children have been exposed to any number of harmful cultural fads, which have brought with it an increase in teen pregnancy, broken families, pornography, violence and promiscuity. Many parents have given up trying to parent their children, and those who do try to parent feel like they are swimming in a tsunami of schoolyard bullies.

What are a mother and a father to do? It really begins in the home with your relationship with your spouse. Your children need to feel secure and safein the arms of two parents who truly love each other and show it as well as show their love for their children. With the five love languages, you have the tools necessary to allow your children to thrive in a society that is trying to corrupt them.

In the upcoming shows, we will be focusing on some of the dangers that your children are confronted with, and how you can help guide them to make healthy choices in their lives.

Latest Shows

To Listen to The Five Love Languages Part II Click here: http://www.box.net/shared/1qxd2shu1v

To listen to the Five Love Languages Part I (aired 12/27/09) click here : http://www.box.net/shared/e0s6o8mv3a

Relationships

So, now that the new year has begin, are you considering how to develop, deepen or even repair some of your relationships with friends, family and loved ones? If you are, what are some of the things you are doing? Christians are called to love to offer mercy and forgiveness and to even offer love to those who are enemies, who are trying to take you away from your relationship with Jesus Christ. How sad it is when Christians sit in judgment of other Christians. How sad it is when true reconciliation is not possible because of anger, bitterness and criticism that has infected so many of our relationships. But God has not given up on us. He so loved the world that he sent his son into the world, not to condemn it but that we might have life. Living in the Spirit, living in the abundant life of our Lord Jesus Christ, is possible even in the midst of crises and painful situations. All it takes is one person. When one person stands up and decides to live in the Spirit, then God can and will work in the relationship. There is real healing possible when even one person seeks to live in the freedom of the sons of God.

There is so much hate in the world, even among people who are so-called Christians. There is so much pain the world because of unhealthy relationships or a holding on to anger and bitterness. Jesus will take the pain away, and he will transform the pain into suffering. Suffering is redemptive whereas pain cuts off the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Living the Five Love Languages is only the beginning to a healing of all your relationships. There is more work that needs to be done, but once you begin living the love languages, then the Holy Spirit will become a part of that relationship and he will bless it with his gifts and fruits.

As we begin this new year, let us put aside all our anger and bitterness and offer true forgiveness and reconciliation to those who have hurt us. Be free of the bodily and spiritual chains that keep you away from God and live in the freedom of the children of God.

Happy New Year

2010!! It is hard to believe that yet another year has passed. And, as this feast day is a holy day of obligation honoring the motherhood of Mary, I have been reflecting on how appropriate it is to have a holy day honoring Mary, the Mother of God to begin a new year. It is Mary who has brought and continues to bring many people to her Son, Jesus Christ, and this year is one that offers many difficulties and surprises and even joys. We turn to our Blessed Mother with the sure and certain hope that you receive blessings upon blessings this new year. Turn to her and lay your burdens at her feet. She will bring them to her Son.

The new year is also a good time to re-evaluate our prayer lives. One way you can experience a deepening prayer life is by praying a daily rosary, if you don't already. The rosary is a powerful weapon in the hands of Catholics in order to combat the evils of our society today. It is also a prayer that can deepen your own relationship with your spouse, especially when you pray the rosary together.

May 2010 bring you joy and peace, and may our Blessed Mother, Mary, continue to bring you and your relationships the peace and joy of true intimacy.