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.