Receiving in Faith

Absence

For those of you who check this blog regularly for Sunday homilies and the weekly Half-Way Prayer on Wednesday, you've likely noticed there has been none since July 1. This is because I've been having some trouble posting with my account. Thankfully I've finally been able to clear it all up and will resume posting with this weekend's homily which will begin our 5-week series of homilies on the Eucharist as we read through John 6 at Mass. 

The Response

Readings for Sunday, June 28/ 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time:
Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
Psalm 30
2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15
Mark 5:21-43

In his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis spoke to us these words: “The family is experiencing a profound cultural crisis, as are all communities and social bonds. In the case of the family, the weakening of these beonds is particularly serious because the family is the fundamental cell of society, where we learn to live with tohers depite our differences and to belong to one another; it is alos the place where parents pass on the faith to their children. Marriage no tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will. But the indispensable contribution of marriage to society transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple. As the French bishops have taught, it is not born ‘of loving sentiment, ephemeral by definition, but form the depth of the obligation assumed by spouses who accept to enter a total communion of life.’”

As you all presumably know, the Supreme Court of the United States announced their opinion Friday, decided by a 5-4 vote, to reject the traditional view of marriage in light of a new definition that permits ‘same-sex marriage’ in all 50 states. While this may upset us, it should surprise us because traditional marriage has been under attack for a long while and this is just one more step. Catholic theology on marriage notes that marriage has two ‘ends’ or ‘goals’, namely procreation and the good of the spouses, which basically means the union is emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, & physically beneficial. We can see that attacks on procreation began decades ago with the introduction and encouragement of contraceptives. This fundamentally separates marriage and its first end. Following behind it is the continued attack on children. Abortion necessarily follows because when contraception fails there has to be a means to be rid of the child one sought first to avoid. From there society made ‘advances’ in being able to choose certain attributes of their children and ‘get rid of’ children who had undesirable attributes. In vitro fertilization and other unethical means of creating life only further the chasm between marriage and the gift of children. The good of the spouses came under attack with the introduction of no-fault divorce, which necessarily makes marriage less binding and thus less valued. To this we can add the devaluing of women in general. It’s interesting to me that in an age when feminism fights so strongly for the rights of women to equal pay, equal job opportunity, etc. (rightly so!) that the culture continues to treat women worse and worse. Women are generally not valued in themselves for the gift that they are, but rather are used for their bodies and their ability to increase sales. This is only encouraged by the acceptance of pornography and pornographic films and books, which only seek to make people objects to be used instead of persons to be loved. With all that has happened to the two ends of marriage, it is no surprise then that the very definition of marriage itself should be free from attack.

The question is this: how do we respond?

I’ve seen responses ranging from fear, anger and despair to excitement, relief, and celebration. As Catholic we ought to stand on neither end of that spectrum but rather firmly planted in the middle full of faith, hope, and love. We are called to have faith that God is in control of this country and this world, regardless of what happens around us. We are called to have hope that Marriage would shine brightly in our culture and remind us of the love of God for us and our call to heavenly life. And we’re called to love. Love of every single person who stands in front of us, regardless of their age, sex, race, social status, sexual orientation, or any other personal attribute, because they are a person. Because they are created in the image and likeness of God. Because they were made to love and be loved.

A lot of times the Catholic Church is painted as this hate-filled body that spews its hatred and condemnation at people who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, bi-sexual, queer, etc. But did you know the Church says the stands for the exact opposite? The Catechism says unambiguously that we are called to show them ‘respect, compassion, and sensitivity’ and that we are to avoid any sign of unjust discrimination toward them. Holy Mother Church loves all of her children and wants to have all of humanity rest in her loving arms. Sadly, we Catholics and fellow-Christians often failed to convey this truth, but the call still stands for us to be images of God’s love ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we condone or celebrate ‘same-sex marriage’ or relationships that lead to such, but it does mean continuing to love the other by showing respect, compassion, sensitivity, and honoring the dignity of others.

So our response needs to be one of faith, hope, and love, which is exactly the same at it has always been. The Supreme Court can say whatever it wants, but the ultimate reality is that the true King of this world is Jesus Christ. I love my country deeply, but we all have to remember that we’re Catholic first and American second. And that means that our Catholic faith informs everything we do. And what is our mission as Catholics? To shine with the light of Christ.

Did you hear the Collect at the beginning of Mass today? It’s easy to miss but it was beautiful: “O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.” I love that last line ‘be seen to stand in the bright light of truth’; not just to stand there, but to be seen standing there. We are called to be witnesses that reflect the Light of Christ as the moon reflects that of the sun.

As I noted last weekend, Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders both are sacraments of service. The entire goal of the individual is to get the other person to heaven. I’m a priest. I’m obligated to be a holy priest, a saintly priest. The Catechism tells me that my life as a priest is to be entirely consecrated to service of the others. Every moment of my day is to be dedicated to getting every single one of you and many others to walk through the pearly gates of heaven and sing the Gloria along with the angels and saints. And if I get there too, good! My call is to shine with the Light of Christ in holiness and priestly ministry.

Single people, your call is much the same. To consecrate your days to loving whoever stands before you. Love them as if it were Jesus Himself and seek to recognize in them the Christ who seeks to love you as well. Be holy and happy Catholics, radiating the joy of the Gospel in your eyes as well as on your lips. Seek the Lord at all times and trust in His guidance of you through all that life brings.

Married people, your call is the same, but even more important. When marriage is under attack, the need is for good, holy marriages to be even more visible and even more effective in their outpouring of love and witness of the goodness of the sacraments. You are called to be icons of the Most Blessed Trinity! The love of husbands for their wives and wives for their husbands is a powerful sign of the love of God for us, and the love of both for their children speaks even more fully of the life and love of God in Himself – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Husbands and wives, remember that your goal is not to get to Heaven and hopefully to drag your spouse along with you. The goal is to get your spouse to Heaven and for them to drag you! When this mutual selfless love is present then it produces saints, both in the parents and the children. The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, Bl. Louis & Bl. Zelie Martin, will soon be canonized and only for the fact that they were a holy family. Be models for your children and for all the world of the gift of God’s grace, and the joy of selfless giving. It can seem that you have little effect on the world, ‘what good can I do in such a big world?’ you might be tempted to think. But remember that Pope St. John Paul II called the family the basic cell of society and a blessing to the world. Strong words. St. John Chrysostom has some strong words too in a homily on marriage as he reminds each and all of us that “The love of a husband and wife are the force that welds society together.”

Be the force and the weld. Be the blessing and the light. Be saints.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

After several months of anxious waiting, I am happy to announce that Bishop Muench has appointed me pastor of St. Ann's Church in Morganza, LA for a six-year term beginning July 1 of this year. It is with sadness that I will be leaving behind this beautiful community in East St. James Parish that has come to be like family to me over the past two years, but I know that God has good things in store for them, for me, and for the community in Morganza that will soon become my family as well. Please pray for me in the transition period, as well as for both communities. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
St. Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us!
St. Joseph, pray for us!
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
St. Ann, pray for us!
St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us!

Pray and Fast!

As you have hopefully heard, His Holiness Pope Francis has asked all Catholics and all people of good will to join him on Saturday, September 7 for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria and throughout the world. Being that tomorrow is First Saturday, there are likely more opportunities to make Mass somewhere near you. You could also do an hour of Adoration or some other prayer to unite with our Holy Father. Additionally, he has invited us to fast. Jesus mentions that His disciples were not to fast while He was among them but that when He was taken up they were to fast in expectation of His Glorious Second Coming. Fasting is something we're supposed to do. But let's remember that in addition to fasting from food, we can also fast from other things. The General Papal Intention for the month of September is "That people today, often overwhelmed by noise, may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters." Maybe tomorrow we could also turn off the computer, tv and phone for a bit and simply spend time as a family. In addition to the prayer with the Lord what a gift it would be to show love to others by acts of kindness, large or small, to unite ourselves with them and with the rest of the world in working for peace. May God hear the prayers we offer and receive the acts we give and pour out generously the gift of His peace in Syria and throughout the whole world!

Check out the Holy Father's official statement HERE.

Prayer Request

In about 7 hours from the time this is posted, I will be on a plane along with about two dozen seminarians from Notre Dame Seminary, my alma mater, on our way to a 9-day mission experience in Nicaragua. I had the joy of going on this mission four times during my formation at NDS, three of them as a student leader, and found they always bore great spiritual fruit and helped to prepare me for the life and ministry of the priest. I ask you to pray for the seminarians, that they might have hearts open to what the Lord desires to speak to them (a prayer for myself and the leaders of the trip would be appreciated as well). Thank you and God bless you for your generosity in offering prayers for us.

Nun Update

Over the past 8 months or so you may noticed my two posts (HERE and HERE) about helping a few young women with their debt, which would enable them to enter religious life. It is with great joy that I report that all three of the young women have since raised all of the funds needed and have entered religious life. I will actually have the chance to meet Sister Pam and Sister Alex when I go up to Washington, D.C. for their investiture ceremony on December 7, in which two good friends (Sister Brooke and Sister Angelique) will also be invested for the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. Thank you for your support - both financial and spiritual. And please keep them in your prayers as they soon take the next step in their religious vocation. 

Africae Munus!

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his recent visit to Africa, signed the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus. While it is written to citizens of that continent and about things important there, it is also useful for us to read as well. As Catholics we realize we are a universal body of believers and so it is beneficial for us to read what our brothers and sisters in Africa are experiencing and also to hear the Catholic faith applied concretely to their situation, which often is similar to ours. You can find it on the Vatican website HERE or ePub & Kindle formats over at The Curt Jester blog HERE. Do enjoy and please keep our Holy Father in your prayers.

Were Not Our Hearts Burning...

The Emmaus story, when the Resurrected Christ walks with two disciples and then breaks open the scriptures to them, is a beautiful one on which to reflect. That touching line "were not our hearts burning..." is one that often comes to mind as I hear or read a particularly profound concept in the scriptures or theology of the Church. And as I have that experience, it drives me to seek to know more and more.

When I first had a scripture class with Dr. Brant Pitre at Notre Dame Seminary, I walked away thinking that exact line from the above account. He had a way of bringing the scriptures to an understandable level that was engaging and enjoyable, yet at the same time challenging and thought-provoking. Every class was a joy and every talk I've heard from his was enlightening in some fashion. Why am I saying all of this? Because Dr. Pitre is coming to Baton Rouge next week and you can be there.

St. Thomas More Catholic Church is having it's Parish Mission on November 7-8, Monday and Tuesday night, starting at 7pm. The subject is 'The Biblical Roots of the Mass: A Scriptural Explanation of the New Roman Missal'. It should be absolutely wonderful and I highly encourage as many as can go to do so.

More info on the event can be found on the flyer HERE.
More info on Dr. Pitre can be found on his website HERE.

Prayers Please

This week I will be on retreat from Monday to Thursday with my brother priests here in Baton Rouge. Please pray that the retreat master be lead by the Spirit in giving his reflections, that we may be open to the graces the Lord desires for each of us and that it be a time of fraternity and renewal in our vocation. Thanks so much and know that I will be praying for you as well especially during that time. 

Minor Setback

So I went to the bookmark that I have for the USCCB daily readings page and it rerouted me to a generic page for the Bible. They have the links to the readings on that page and I'll have to continue to use that link in the future; not a big deal. The problem though is that all of the links that I had to daily readings on this blog are now invalid and simply bring you to the page for the Bible rather than the actual readings. In the end, this is a bit frustrating since none of the previous links are functional. BUT all future ones should work just fine...provided they don't make drastic changes to their format again...

Minor Achievements and Such

I've officially registered 3000 visitors to this little blog! I'm excited by that and pray that it is a source of spiritual nourishment and encouragement for all who come to visit. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Changes!!

Well, for about a year now I have survived with pretty minimal change of the blog page and am now discovering just how much I can actually do with it - especially linking to others and having extra pages (as noted on the bar above). I am currently learning more and more about these various possibilities and so there will be some noted changes coming in the next few weeks as I am able to make use of what is available to me here. Please pardon the construction and check back often for updates both in entries and layout. Also, input on how things look or what to add is greatly appreciated - the point of the blog is to help others, so let me know if there is something that might better facilitate that! God's blessings be upon you!

On Life and Stuff

For those who check this blog regularly, you will have noticed that things haven't been getting updated much recently. Though it's not an excuse, things were pretty hectic and have continued to be after ordination. And for the last week I have been at Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga in Brevard, NC, where I was a camp counselor for the summers of 2005 and 2006. It is absolutely gorgeous up here and has been a great opportunity to rest a bit and just enjoy being a priest without all of the paperwork and things surrounding me in the office. Being up here, I rarely have access to the internet and haven't been writing my homilies out as I usually do. I am going to be back home tomorrow night and should start blogging regularly once again as I officially begin my parish assignment at St. George Parish in Baton Rouge and will thus officially be preaching regularly! Please pray for me to have safe travels on the way back and as I begin my assignment. Thanks so much!

Again and Again...

This officially makes the third layout within a few days. After looking at some of the comments I received, I decided to change it up again and see what everyone's thoughts are. Please shoot me an email or leave a comment on this post if you think this is a better setup than the previous one with the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Hopefully the readability is increased and ... it finally has a picture of St. Philomena on it! :)

Unintentional but Official!

1000 visitors!

As of this morning the visitor numbers for this blog were somewhere in the mid-900's. After letting some friends and family know about the updated background and such there was an unexpected spike in the site traffic. This resulted in a milestone of sorts in that this little blog has now officially registered over 1000 visitors from nearly 20 nations. Thanks to all of you for coming to read these posts. Hopefully they are beneficial for your spiritual life as they are for mine. My prayers are with you all!

The Mass and the Bible!

I just noticed on The Sacred Page blog that there is a new annotated edition of the ordinary of the Mass complete with references to the Biblical passages. What does that mean to us? It means that we have the opportunity to look through the new translation of the Mass that is to come in Advent this year to see just how Biblically-rooted the Catholic faith and Mass are. It is definitely worth taking a good look at. You can find it here.

1 Peter 3:15 - 'Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who call you to account for the hope that is in you'

A Little Break

The Cathedral across the Center from us

Just to let everyone know who keeps up with this regularly - I am in Granada, Nicaragua on a mission trip for the next 12 days. I (obviously) have some internet service but am not sure how much I'll be able to blog in that time. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to post about what is going on here. We shall see.

Please pray for us and for those coming to join us this Monday, that the Lord would keep us all safe and healthy and that we might be open to all that the Lord has in store for us in this blessed time. Thanks!

New Papal Document!!!

For those who follow the world of Catholic Reporting, you will likely have heard that the Holy Father released a new papal document yesterday. It is a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation entitled Verbum Domini, or The Word of the Lord. This document is significant for a number of reasons:

1-It has taken three years for the Pope to complete it, taking many notes from the Synod (gathering of bishops from around the world) on Sacred Scripture that took place several years back. This timeframe means that much effort was put into it and it is desirable that it be taken up by theologians and laity alike to reflect on the Church's teaching on the Scriptures.
2-It is the first papal document on the Sacred Scriptures in over half a century.
3-The Scriptures are arguably the most significant aspect of Pope Benedict's pontificate.

I hope, in the coming weeks, to be able to read through this document and post some quotes and reflections here so that you too might be able to hear some of what the Church and Holy Father are speaking to us today with regard to this most important of topics. I do encourage you, however, to not rely on my reflections on it but rather to go get the document and read it for yourself. The Holy Father is an incredible theologian and writer and there will certainly be much in this document worth reflecting on for ourselves personally. You can find it at the Vatican website. You can also find more on the importance of this document at The Sacred Page blog. Again - please go get the document and read it for yourself. Even if you take it a paragraph a day, it will be well worth the read.