July 31, 2011: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

(90 year old grandma tap dancing)

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At a funeral this week I met one of the most interesting people that I have met in my life, a 94-year old young woman who was a younger sister to the 95-year old parishioner who died this week. At a glance, she looked far younger than 94, so I was surprised when told her age. After the funeral, I sat beside her at the reception and chatted over fried drumsticks and brownies. She told me that she lives in a nursing home, and that her hobbies of reading books and dancing keep her busy. Recently, a man in his seventies moved into the nursing home, and her friends warned her about him. He kept asking her for a dance until she told him, "I'm old enough to be your mother!" and then he no longer bothered her. She told me that she has a soft spot for guys who are lonely, so when they ask, she dances with them. She said that many of her friends talk about their aches and pains, but she prefers to talk about what's positive in her life; certainly she has her share of aches and pains, but she's not going to let that stop her from enjoying being with her friends and from dancing. She has quite a refreshing attitude in life.

People who go beyond themselves and give generously of their time and energy for others always impress me. The 94-year old lady is no exception because she reminds me that we can be self-giving no matter our age or circumstances. If we look around, people hungering for love and companionship surround us. On Friday at the sign of the peace during mass at a nursing home, many of the residents who are in wheel chairs were unable to greet each other because they are frail and are not able to turn to each other to exchange a greeting. How heart warming it was to see the helpers go to the residents to greet them; their loneliness was broken by kindness.

In the Gospel reading today, Our Lord does something miraculous, something that only God can do. However, in order for this miracle to be fruitful, it requires the ordinary. Jesus saw the vast crowd that was gathered around him, hungry and tired. His heart was moved with pity, and he did not want them to go home without something to eat. He first said to his disciples, "give them some food yourselves." The disciples were perplexed, how could they feed a crowd of 5,000? Then Jesus did the miraculous by taking the very limited quantity of bread and fish and multiplying them enough to fill a semi-truck. Yet, this miracle would not have been successful without the ordinary and very human disciples going and distributing these miraculous loaves of bread and fish to each person. God provides the abundant nourishment, but we have to be his hands and his feet to distribute His love personally.

There is a beautiful prayer that St. Teresa of Avila composed to illustrate God's miracle being worked through us.

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.


God is not asking the 94-year old lady to do something that requires extraordinary abilities. He simply asks for her 'yes' in being kind, patient, and compassionate to the men who feel lonely and asks her for a dance. The moment we say our small 'yes' to God, then He does something miraculous--He makes our small 'yes' infinite. The moment we decide to give, God multiplies our meager offering and makes an impact on others that we never could have imagined. Can we say that small 'yes' so that God can look through our eyes with compassion on this world, so that God can walk with our feet to do good, and so that God can bless the world through our hands?

July 29, 2011 Friday: St. Martha

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St Martha

from http://www.catholic.org/saints

"Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus." This unique statement in John's gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, her sister, and her brother.

Apparently Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha's home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem. We read of three visits in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-53, and John 12:1-9.

Many of us find it easy to identify with Martha in the story Luke tells. Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them. Hospitality is paramount in the Middle East and Martha believed in its importance. Imagine her frustration when her sister Mary ignores the rule of hospitality and Martha's work in order to sit and listen to Jesus. Instead of speaking to her sister, she asks Jesus to intervene. Jesus' response is not unkind, which gives us an idea of his affection for her. He observes that Martha is worried about many things that distract her from really being present to him. He reminds her that there is only one thing that is truly important -- listening to him. And that is what Mary has done. In Martha we see ourselves -- worried and distracted by all we have to do in the world and forgetting to spend time with Jesus. It is, however, comforting to note that Jesus loved her just the same.

The next visit shows how well Martha learned this lesson. She is grieving the death of her brother with a house full of mourners when she hears that Jesus has just come to the area. She gets up immediately and leaves the guests, leaves her mourning, and goes to meet him.

Her conversation with Jesus shows her faith and courage. In this dialogue she states clearly without doubt that she believes in Jesus' power, in the resurrection, and most of all that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus tells her that he is the resurrection and the life and then goes on to raise her brother from the dead. Our final picture of Martha in Scripture is the one that sums up who she was. Jesus has returned to Bethany some time later to share a meal with his good friends. In this home were three extraordinary people. We hear how brother Lazarus caused a stir when was brought back to life. We hear how Mary causes a commotion at dinner by annointing Jesus with expensive perfume. But all we hear about Martha is the simple statement: "Martha served." She isn't in the spotlight, she doesn't do showy things, she doesn't receive spectacular miracles. She simply serves Jesus.

We know nothing more about Martha and what happened to her later. According to a totally untrustworthy legend Martha accompanied Mary to evangelize France after Pentecost.

But wouldn't it be wonderful if the most important thing that could be said about us is "They served"?

Martha is the patron saint of servants and cooks.

Prayer:
Saint Martha, pray for us that we might serve Jesus better. Help us to overcome our distractions and worries to listen to his words and be present to him this day. Amen

July 28, 2011 Thursday: 17th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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A Pencil in God's Hand

from Mother Teresa's Secret Fire by Fr. Joseph Langford, MC

Mother Teresa was so conscious of her mission to communicate the "light and love" she had received, that she defined herself in terms of her message, describing herself as "a pencil in God's hand, that He might write His love letter to the world." In service of that message, she never shied away from using the most ardent language to describe the intimacy to which Jesus' thirst invites us, a language that fills the pages of Scripture itself:

For the Lord delights in you,
   and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin 
   so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
   so shall your God rejoice over you. (Is 62:4-5)

Mother Teresa understood that the only way to approach God's thirst for us is to open to it, without insisting on understanding or being worthy. As theologian Karl Rahner observed, "Some things are understood not by grasping, but by allowing oneself to be grasped." Such a love can never be earned, nor fully understood... It is a love that can always be believed in and welcomed into our hearts, entirely free, and ever close at hand.

July 27, 2010 Wednesday: 17th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

from Mother Teresa's Secret Fire by Fr. Joseph Langford, MC

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Infinite Longing

The first light to come from Mother Teresa's experience touches on the central message of Jesus' thirst--the "infinite longing in the heart of God" for us, his children.
In the deepest part of our soul we all yearn to be loved--but most especially by the God who is the source of all love. What more consoling news can there be, then, than to know we are loved beyond all we could hope or imagine, with a love infinite in magnitude and intensity, beyond all measuring or conceiving? This mystery is so great that it requires effort on our part to approach it, since we have no concept of what an "infinite love" might be.

We have no analogies for infinity, nothing to compare it to, and so our best recourse in the quest to understand God's love are analogies that are within our grasp, such as "thirst"--human metaphors that help point us towards the divine reality. Those analogies that convey something of the intensity and immensity of God's love, like thirst and longing, help us to draw closer to the divine abyss.

St. Catherine of Siena, the great mystic and Doctor of the Church, speaks of the thirst of Jesus, as if saying: 'I have greater ardor and desire and thirst for your salvation than I am able to show you, [even] with my Passion." God not only loves us, but he is also in love with us. This profound mystery lies at the core of Mother Teresa's discovery. Mother Teresa said:

"When we look at Jesus during His humiliating Passion and death we ask--why all this? for what purpose...No one, not even Jesus could have gone through all that humiliating suffering if He was not in love."

July 26, 2011 Tuesday: St. Joachim and St. Ann, parents of Blessed Mother

St. Joachim and St. Anne

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St. Anne and St. Joachim are honored as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They spent their lives worshiping God and doing good. They had one great sorrow, however: for decades they had not been blessed with children. For years and years Anne had begged the Lord to give her a child. She promised to consecrate the baby to him. When she was already old, God answered her prayer in a far better way than she could ever have dreamed. The child born to St. Joachim and St. Anne was the Immaculate Virgin Mary. This holiest of all women was to become the Mother of God. Anne took tender care of little Mary for a few years. Then she gave her to the service of God, as she had promised she would.

Mary went to live in the holy Temple of Jerusa-lem. St. Joachim and St. Anne continued their lives of prayer until God called them home to heaven. Christians have always been especially devoted to St. Anne. Many beautiful churches have been built in her honor. Perhaps one of the most famous is the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Canada. Great crowds go there all year around to ask St. Anne’s help in their sufferings.

❦

St. Anne and St. Joachim were the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. We can ask them to bring us closer to Jesus and Mary.

from
Daughters of St. Paul

July 25, 2011 Monday: St James, Apostle

SAINT JAMES THE GREATER, APOSTLE

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St. James the Greater was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, a son of Zebedee. He and his older brother John were called by Jesus while fixing their nets at the Lake of Genesaret. They received from Christ the name "Boanerges," meaning "sons of thunder," for their impetuosity. The gospel relates that James was present for the miracle of Jairo's daughter, the Transfiguration, and later with Jesus during His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Acts of the Apostles relates that the Apostles dispersed to different regions to take the Good News to the people of God. Sister Maria de Jesus de Agreda was a Franciscan religious who received revelations from Jesus. It was revealed to her that St. James the Greater went to Spain to evangelize. He went first to Galicia, where he established a Christian community and later to the Roman city of Cesar Augusto, today known as Zaragoza.

It is believed that on January 2nd, in the year 40 A.D., St. James and his disciples where resting on the shore side of the Egro river and started to hear sweet voices singing. They saw the sky fill up with light and many angels coming near them. The angels where carrying a throne on which the Queen of Heaven and earth was sitting. This was extraordinary, for Mary was living at that time in Jerusalem, making her appearance to them in Spain a bilocation. The Blessed Virgin told St. James to build a sanctuary where God would be honored and glorified, and gave him a pillar with her image to be placed in the sanctuary.

The Blessed Virgin also told St. James that the sanctuary would remain until the end of times and that she would bless all the prayers offered devoutly in this place. At the end of the apparition, Our Lady said to St. James that when the sanctuary was finished, he should return to Palestine where he would die.

St. James fulfilled the desires of the Blessed Virgin Mary and constructed the first Christian Church in the entire world. St. James returned to Palestine, where he was decapitated by order of Herod on the 25th of March during a persecution of the Church in Jerusalem. According to tradition, the accuser of St. James, who lead him to judgment, was so moved by St. James’ confession before death that he converted and was willingly beheaded with the Apostle. His disciples recovered his body and translated it to Galicia without anyone’s knowledge in a miraculous boat guided by God.

In the Old Testament Jacob constructed an altar for God naming it Bethel, which means "House of God" (Gen. 35:7). Jacob is a Greek name, and translated to Spanish, the name means James. Jacob constructed the "House of God,” and St. James parallels his namesake with the construction of the first "House of God” of the New Covenant.

St. James's tomb was forgotten for over 800 years. Under the rule of Alfonso II (789-842), a hermit named Pelagio received a vision revealing the tomb of St. James. On July 25th, 812, the spot where the tomb was revealed to be was filled with a bright light. Because of this, it has since been known as Compostela, which means "Field of Light." The bishop of Iria Flavia, Theodomir, after investigating, declared that these were truly the remains of St. James in the tomb. In 1884 Pope Leon XIII, in a Papal Bull, declared that the remains of St. James were at Compostela.

St. James the Greater is also known as "Matamoros," Spanish for “killer of the Moors.” It is known that his intercession helped the people in various occasions against the threat of the Moors, especially in 1492 when Spain was re-conquered.

HIS PRESENCE IN THE NEW WORLD

1492 was also the year the Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. Columbus and his conquistadors had a special devotion to the image of Mary that had appeared in the mountains of Spain that same year. Tradition tells us that St. Luke the evangelist made the image.

The advocation of the image was "A Virgin of Guadalupe," named after the small river that passes through the mountain, meaning "A River of Light." The conquerors, Colon and Cortes, visited the sanctuary of the Virgin of Guadalupe before departing on to the new land.

In 1519, Cortes arrived at Veracruz, today known as Lantigua, and constructed the first church dedicated to St. James the Apostle. Then in 1521 when Mexico was conquered from the Aztecs, Cortes constructed a Church in ruins due to the war with the Aztecs, which he dedicated to St. James. This is the Church to which St. Juan Diego was heading on December 9th, 1531 to receive religious education classes and participate in the Holy Mass for the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.
St. James prepared the way for the Blessed Virgin Mary both in Spain and in the 'new world.’ He is the apostle of the Blessed Virgin Mary that goes in front of Mary to prepare the way. He is also known also as the apostle of peace.

ST. JAMES AND THE BLESSED MOTHER

In 1981, when Our Lady appeared in Medjugorie, with the advocation "Queen of Peace," St. James already had made his presence known. A few years before the apparition, the Church constructed in the village of Medjugorie was dedicated to St. James the Apostle. St. James, being the apostle of peace, carries in his hands the keys to open the door that would bring peace to Medjugorie. We should pray to this apostle for his intercession. St. James prepared the way for the world to know the Virgin Mary as a "Pillar" of our Church, just like the pillar she had given him hundreds of years before.

ST. JAMES OF COMPOSTELA

In the middles ages all roads lead to Compostela. The city is located in northern Spain, and it was one of the principle cities of Christianity, the other two being Jerusalem and Rome. Most likely, Compostela was the most known and visited.

All the European countries had their holy places, but Santiago was always full of pilgrims. Even the word pilgrimage was associated to Santiago. Many pilgrims would come walking to St. James tomb, which brought prosperity to the city. Because many people came from all throughout Europe, an exact route did not exist, but instead many different ones. There were four places designated in France as starting points towards Santiago de Compostela. In Spain these roads united to form two, the "Way of Aragones,” and the "Way of France.” Of the two roads, the "Way of France" was the most important historically and also today.

The road follows the old Roman road "Via Traina.” Today this same road is used by millions of pilgrims, even though many have different intentions than the Christians of mediaeval times who expected to see miracles and receive the absolution proclaimed by the Church.

“JAMES, THE GREATER”
His Holiness Benedict XVI, General Audience, June 21, 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are continuing the series of portraits of the Apostles chosen directly by Jesus during his earthly life. We have spoken of St Peter and of his brother, Andrew. Today we meet the figure of James. The biblical lists of the Twelve mention two people with this name: James, son of Zebedee, and James, son of Alphaeus (cf. Mk 3: 17,18; Mt 10: 2-3), who are commonly distinguished with the nicknames "James the Greater" and "James the Lesser". These titles are certainly not intended to measure their holiness, but simply to state the different importance they receive in the writings of the New Testament and, in particular, in the setting of Jesus' earthly life. Today we will focus our attention on the first of these two figures with the same name.

The name "James" is the translation of Iakobos, the Graecised form of the name of the famous Patriarch, Jacob. The Apostle of this name was the brother of John and in the above-mentioned lists, comes second, immediately after Peter, as occurs in Mark (3: 17); or in the third place, after Peter and Andrew as in the Gospels of Matthew (10: 2) and Luke (6: 14), while in the Acts he comes after Peter and John (1: 13). This James belongs, together with Peter and John, to the group of the three privileged disciples whom Jesus admitted to important moments in his life.

Since it is very hot today, I want to be brief and to mention here only two of these occasions. James was able to take part, together with Peter and John, in Jesus' Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and in the event of Jesus' Transfiguration. Thus, it is a question of situations very different from each other: in one case, James, together with the other two Apostles, experiences the Lord's glory and sees him talking to Moses and Elijah, he sees the divine splendour shining out in Jesus. On the other occasion, he finds himself face to face with suffering and humiliation, he sees with his own eyes how the Son of God humbles himself, making himself obedient unto death. The latter experience was certainly an opportunity for him to grow in faith, to adjust the unilateral, triumphalist interpretation of the former experience: he had to discern that the Messiah, whom the Jewish people were awaiting as a victor, was in fact not only surrounded by honour and glory, but also by suffering and weakness. Christ's glory was fulfilled precisely on the Cross, in his sharing in our sufferings.

This growth in faith was brought to completion by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, so that James, when the moment of supreme witness came, would not draw back. Early in the first century, in the 40s, King Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, as Luke tells us, "laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword" (Acts 12: 1-2). The brevity of the news, devoid of any narrative detail, reveals on the one hand how normal it was for Christians to witness to the Lord with their own lives, and on the other, that James had a position of relevance in the Church of Jerusalem, partly because of the role he played during Jesus' earthly existence.

A later tradition, dating back at least to Isidore of Seville, speaks of a visit he made to Spain to evangelize that important region of the Roman Empire. According to another tradition, it was his body instead that had been taken to Spain, to the city of Santiago de Compostela. As we all know, that place became the object of great veneration and is still the destination of numerous pilgrimages, not only from Europe but from the whole world. This explains the iconographical representation of St James with the pilgrim's staff and the scroll of the Gospel in hand, typical features of the travelling Apostle dedicated to the proclamation of the "Good News" and characteristics of the pilgrimage of Christian life.

Consequently, we can learn much from St James: promptness in accepting the Lord's call even when he asks us to leave the "boat" of our human securities, enthusiasm in following him on the paths that he indicates to us over and above any deceptive presumption of our own, readiness to witness to him with courage, if necessary to the point of making the supreme sacrifice of life. Thus James the Greater stands before us as an eloquent example of generous adherence to Christ. He, who initially had requested, through his mother, to be seated with his brother next to the Master in his Kingdom, was precisely the first to drink the chalice of the passion and to share martyrdom with the Apostles.

And, in the end, summarizing everything, we can say that the journey, not only exterior but above all interior, from the mount of the Transfiguration to the mount of the Agony, symbolizes the entire pilgrimage of Christian life, among the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God, as the Second Vatican Council says. In following Jesus, like St James, we know that even in difficulties we are on the right path.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our weekly catechesis on the Church's apostolic ministry, we now consider the Apostle James. James -- called the Greater, in order to distinguish him from James, the son of Alphaeus -- was the brother of the Apostle John.

In the New Testament, James is often named with Peter and John as one of the three disciples privileged to be present at the most significant events in Jesus' earthly ministry. These include the Lord's transfiguration on Mount Tabor and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Through these two events, which revealed Christ's glory as the Son of God and the meaning of his redemptive sacrifice, James came to a deeper understanding of the Lord's messianic mission. This growth in faith was crowned by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Acts of the Apostles presents James as an authoritative figure in the Church of Jerusalem and the first of the apostles to meet a martyr's death. His example inspires us to be zealous disciples of Christ, prepared to drink from the cup of his suffering in order to reign with him in glory (cf. Mark 10:35-40).

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present at today's audience, including the delegates to the conference on plasma physics, and the delegates to the symposium on atherosclerosis. I extend particular greetings to the groups from Ireland, Ghana, China and the United States of America. May your stay in Rome renew your faith and your love for our Lord, and may God bless you all!

from
http://www.piercedhearts.org/theology_heart/life_saints/james_apostle.htm

July 24, 2011: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

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A fond memory from my childhood is going to my grandmother’s during the holidays and eating the corn-on-the-cob that she served at our meal. Koreans like to steam the corn and then eat it hot, right out of the steamer. But it's not easy for a little mouth and little hands to get a handle on a steamy, hot, large ear of corn. So even before my grandmother had her own serving, she would grab the hot corn and take the kernels of corn off the cob by hand for me. Of the many things I remember about my maternal grandmother, that memory comes to mind first. I think it is so memorable for this grandson because I know that she made many little sacrifices for me. At her burial, all of her children and grandchildren were gathered together, which was one of the last times that the entire family would gather together.

As I do funerals of mothers, I often hear family members say, "Our mother brought all of us together for Sundays and holidays. I don't know whether we'll be getting together like that again." It is not uncommon for families to stop large family gatherings once their mother passes away. Is this true of your family? When I was thinking about how my grandmother was able to bring all the family together for holidays, I realized that it was her willingness to sacrifice that allowed her to pull the event together. She probably spent several days before the gathering shopping and cooking in preparation for the actual event. Everyone looked forward to getting together and they all knew how much work was involved to make that happen but they would not have volunteered to do such hard work. Of course, by the end of the day, all were glad that someone made the sacrifice to make it happen.

So, what is a true sacrifice? Mother Teresa said, "A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves." We also know that sacrifice involves risk. A mother does not know how many of her children will show up for the big meal, but nevertheless, she goes ahead and risks and sacrifices her time to prepare the meal. She discovers that it is worth sacrificing herself even when only a few of her children show up. Something happens to each of us when we decide to sacrifice. St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, said, "True love grows by sacrifice and the more thoroughly the soul rejects natural satisfaction the stronger and more detached its tenderness becomes." St. Therese said that
with each self-sacrifice, we grow in our ability to love. That's a great treasure worth sacrificing for.

In the Gospel Our Lord speaks of finding a treasure. Not a material treasure, but a treasure he calls ‘the kingdom of heaven.’ He said this treasure, this ‘pearl of great price’ is worth selling everything else to obtain it--in other words, it requires sacrifice to obtain this precious pearl. Just as my grandmother sacrificed herself to bring her whole family together, Our Lord sacrificed all to bring us to His Father’s kingdom. What exactly is the Father’s kingdom? A kingdom of true love, which is the fruit of sacrifice--sacrifice that costs, sacrifice that hurts, sacrifice that empty ourselves. The fruit of my grandmother’s sacrifice was her family being together and enjoying each other’s company. The fruit of Our Lord’s sacrifice on the Cross is all of God’s family--whether Italian, French, Korean, Cajun-- enjoying each other’s love.  

What have we sacrificed or will sacrifice to discover the Father’s kingdom? Will we do so with joy? Perhaps we think that persevering is too high a price for this treasure. What we give to God--our patience, kindness, gentleness, and compassion--cannot compare to what Our Lord will give us in return.

My mom reminded me not too long ago that when my grandmother died, I cried for hours--so much so that the hearse driver told me to quiet down. I miss her love. I miss how much she cared for me. Likewise, when we understand the extent of the Father’s love, the enormity of Our Lord’s love, then we will desire to respond to the Father’s love. Then we will love totally, as the Father and Our Lord love.

July 22, 2011 Friday: St Mary Magdalen

St. Theresa of Avila wrote in her personal journal that it was the story of Mary of Magdala which played an important role in her conversion from spiritual indifference. St. Bridget of Sweden wrote: “There are three saints I love above all: Mary the mother of Jesus, St.John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene.”

St. Anselm wrote the following prayer to St. Mary Magdalen:

"St Mary Magdalene, you came with springing tears to the spring of mercy, Christ; from him your burning thirst was abundantly refreshed through him your sins were forgiven; by him your bitter sorrow was consoled.

My dearest lady, well you know by your own life how a sinful soul can be reconciled with its creator, what counsel a soul in misery needs, what medicine will restore the sick to health.

It is enough for us to understand, dear friend of God, to whom were many sins forgiven, because she loved much.

Most blessed lady, I who am the most evil and sinful of men do not recall your sins as a reproach, but call upon the boundless mercy by which they were blotted out.

This is my reassurance, so that I do not despair; this is my longing, so that I shall not perish.

I say this of myself, miserably cast down into the depths of vice, bowed down with the weight of crimes, thrust down by my own hand into a dark prison of sins, wrapped round with the shadows of darkness.

Therefore, since you are now with the chosen because you are beloved and are beloved because you are chosen of God, I, in my misery, pray to you, in bliss; in my darkness, I ask for light; in my sins, redemption; impure, I ask for purity.

Recall in loving kindness what you used to be, how much you needed mercy, and seek for me that same forgiving love that you received when you were wanting it. Ask urgently that I may have the love that pierces the heart; tears that are humble; desire for the homeland of heaven; impatience with this earthly exile; searing repentance; and a dread of torments in eternity.

Turn to my good that ready access that you once had and still have to the spring of mercy.

Draw me to him where I may wash away my sins; bring me to him who can slake my thirst; pour over me those waters that will make my dry places fresh. You will not find it hard to gain all you desire from so loving and so kind a Lord, who is alive and reigns and is your friend.

For who can tell, beloved and blest of God, with what kind familiarity and familiar kindness he himself replied on your behalf to the calumnies of those who were against you? How he defended you, when the proud Pharisee was indignant, how he excused you, when your sister complained, how highly he praised your deed, when Judas begrudged it.

And, more than all this, what can I say, how can I find words to tell, about the burning love with which you sought him, weeping at the sepulchre, and wept for him in your seeking?

How he came, who can say how or with what kindness, to comfort you, and made you burn with love still more; how he hid from you when you wanted to see him, and showed himself when you did not think to see him; how he was there all the time you sought him, and how he sought you when, seeking him, you wept.

But you, most holy Lord, why do you ask her why she weeps?

Surely you can see; her heart, the dear life of her soul, is cruelly slain.

O love to be wondered at;

O evil to be shuddered at;

you hung on the wood, pierced by iron nails, stretched out like a thief for the mockery of wicked men; and yet, 'Woman,' you say, 'why are you weeping?' She had not been able to prevent them from killing you, but at least she longed to keep your body for a while with ointments lest it decay.

No longer able to speak with you living, at least she could mourn for you dead. So, near to death and hating her own life, she repeats in broken tones the words of life which she had heard from the living.

And now, besides all this, even the body which she was glad, in a way, to have kept, she believes to have gone.

And can you ask her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?'

Had she not reason to weep?

For she had seen with her own eyes--if she could bear to look--what cruel men cruelly did to you; and now all that was left of you from their hands she thinks she has lost.

All hope of you has fled, for now she has not even your lifeless body to remind her of you.

And someone asks, 'Who are you looking for? Why are you weeping?'

You, her sole joy, should be the last thus to increase her sorrow. But you know it all well, and thus you wish it to be, for only in such broken words and sighs can she convey a cause of grief as great as hers. The love you have inspired you do not ignore,

And indeed you know her well, the gardener, who planted her soul in his garden. What you plant, I think you also water.

Do you water, I wonder, or do you test her?

In fact, you are both watering and putting to the test.

But now, good Lord, gentle Master, look upon your faithful servant and disciple, so lately redeemed by your blood, and see how she burns with anxiety, desiring you, searching all round, questioning, and what she longs for is nowhere found.

Nothing she sees can satisfy her, since you whom alone she would behold, she sees not.

What then?

How long will my Lord leave his beloved to suffer thus?

Have you put off compassion now you have put on incorruption? Did you let go of goodness when you laid hold of immortality?

Let it not be so, Lord.

You will not despise us mortals now you have made yourself immortal, for you made yourself a mortal in order to give us immortality.

And so it is; for love's sake he cannot bear her grief for long or go on hiding himself. For the sweetness of love he shows himself who would not for the bitterness of tears.

The Lord calls his servant by the name she has often heard and the servant knows the voice of her own Lord.

I think, or rather I am sure, that she responded to the gentle tone with which he was accustomed to call, 'Mary'. What joy filled that voice, so gentle and full of love.

He could not have put it more simply and clearly:

'I know who you are and what you want; behold me; do not weep, behold me; I am he whom you seek.'

At once the tears are changed; I do not believe that they stopped at once, but where once they were wrung from a heart broken and self-tormenting they flow now from a heart exulting. How different is, 'Master!' from 'If you have taken him away, tell me'; and, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him,' has a very different sound from,

'I have seen the Lord, and he has spoken to me.'

But how should I, in misery and without love, dare to describe the love of God and the blessed friend of God? Such a flavour of goodness will make my heart sick if it has in itself nothing of that same virtue.

But in truth, you who are very truth, you know me well and can testify that I write this for the love of your love, my Lord, my most dear Jesus.

I want your love to burn in me as you command so that I may desire to love you alone and sacrifice to you a troubled spirit, 'a broken and a contrite heart'.

Give me, 0 Lord, in this exile, the bread of tears and sorrow for which I hunger more than for any choice delights.

Hear me, for your love, and for the dear merits of your beloved Mary, and your blessed Mother, the greater Mary.

Redeemer, my good Jesus, do not despise the prayers of one who has sinned against you but strengthen the efforts of a weakling that loves you.

Shake my heart out of its indolence, Lord, and in the ardour of your love bring me to the everlasting sight of your glory where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, God, for ever. Amen.'

- Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), Doctor of the Church

July 21, 2011 Thursday: 16th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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Dear children! Today, I call you to become my witnesses by living the faith of your fathers. Little children, you seek signs and messages and do not see that, with every morning sunrise, God calls you to convert and to return to the way of truth and salvation. You speak much, little children, but you work little on your conversion. That is why, convert and start to live my messages, not with your words but with your life. In this way, little children, you will have the strength to decide for the true conversion of the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.
(Medjugorje message, September 25, 1998)

July 20, 2011 Wednesday: 16th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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Morning Gift


Don't you love the mornings
When you go outside,
And there on the ground
Is a fresh, perfect, green leaf?
A leaf, floated from the
Quiet summer trees,
Just resting on the grass, and
waiting to be discovered.
Touch the treasure, and
Pick it up gently, then
Feel all the excitement of
A new leaf, with no tears,
No marks, no holes.
It is a sign of healing and future.
Don't you just love the mornings
When you are reminded of
The special gifts of life?


June 1999

From Hope Through Heart Songs by Mattie Stepanek

Mattie Stepanek (July 17, 1990 – June 22, 2004) has been writing poetry and short stories since age three. A Catholic, Stepanek suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy that resulted in his death a month before his 14th birthday. His sister and two brothers also died from the disease during early childhood, and his mother has the adult form, diagnosed only after all four of her children were born.

July 19, 2011 Tuesday: 16th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

Life: That's Amazing!


When it is nighttime,
I get my nebulizer and All my medicines,
I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth,
I put on my pajamas and heart monitor,
And untangle my oxygen-mustache
So I get my special breathing wind.
When I am in my bed,
My mommy will read me a book,
And say my prayers with me.
She will kiss me and hug me and tuck me in,
And then turn on my Mommy-Songs tape.
When I close my eyes,
I go to sleep and dream and dream,
Or I go to sleep and do not dream.
When it is morning,
I wake up.
I am alive, and
I am breathing, and
I am a real boy.
That's Amazing!

October 1993

From Hope Through Heart Songs by Mattie Stepanek
Mattie Stepanek (July 17, 1990 – June 22, 2004) has been writing poetry and short stories since age three. A Catholic, Stepanek suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy that resulted in his death a month before his 14th birthday. His sister and two brothers also died from the disease during early childhood, and his mother has the adult form, diagnosed only after all four of her children were born.

July 17, 2011: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

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People have told me that the first week that Fr. Phil was assigned here at Ascension of Our Lord seven years ago, he presided over six funerals. So the parishioners are not surprised when in my first week here at Ascension I have faced four funerals. Over the past three years as a young priest I have presided over many funerals. For some of those who died, I journeyed with them from their advanced stage of illness to their last breath. I think Catholic priests have a unique privilege of witnessing souls putting closure on a very short-term earthly life to begin a very long-term eternal life in Heaven.

It's my experience that some souls are better prepared to put closure on their earthly life than others. I remember visiting a man whose cancer had spread through his entire body. When I entered his room, he had a beer in his hand and was joking with friends who were visiting him. The moment I mentioned preparing for dying and receiving the anointing, he jolted and dropped his beer, which spilled over his blanket. I left that house thinking this man was not prepared to put closure on his very short earthly life. A few days later I heard from his wife that he had passed. Some souls I encounter do not even have time to unpack for this earthly life. I remember standing over incubators at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Woman's Hospital with anxious new moms and dads. One child I was called to visit lived only two hours outside his mama's womb. I baptized the child and he was ready for his heavenly home but his mom and dad were not ready for him to go.

Knowing that our life on earth can be as short as two hours or as short as 90 years, how should we prepare for the new life in Heaven that will unfold when we die? There is a popular saying that says, "Think with end in mind." I would tweak that and say, "Live your life as if you are already living in Heaven." I came across a man who is doing just that. He came to the church where I was a couple of years ago to give a testimony. He said that at one time he was a wealthy man, who owned many businesses and also competed as a semi-pro body builder. Then his high-soaring life came to a screeching halt when his wife left him. He pleaded with her, "But honey, we just built this new house, our garages are full of new cars, and we have enough money in the bank account." That was not reason enough for his wife who had enough of his selfish and egocentric ways. Alone and in his darkest hour, someone suggested that he take a pilgrimage to regain peace in his life. While on the pilgrimage, he said to God, "My God, if You're really real, and I'm Your son, and Jesus is Your Son, that means He's my Brother. That makes us brothers. I probably don't deserve anything because of the way I have squandered everything that You've given me, and the way I've lived my life so selfishly, but I'm here and I have about seven days left, so I'll give you a chance...Reveal Yourself to me. And if not, we'll go on our separate ways, and You can have Your life, and I'll have mine." The very next day he went to a prayer service at a church and after receiving a blessing from a Catholic priest he returned to his pew to pray. From that blessing, he began to feel peace and an overwhelming sense that he was loved. Then he saw before him, the altar and people disappear and the vivid scenes of his own life replayed right before him. God was showing him the 'movie of his life.'

He said, “I kept crying, and as I looked up, I saw like a movie screen – that’s the only way I can explain it. My life was flashing before me…I saw my life and my sins, and it was not a pretty sight. It was a really, really ugly sight. I was trying to see something that I would be proud of, and there was really nothing there, because everything I did, I did it in my name, and I did it for me…I wasn’t doing anything for Jesus or Mary or God the Father or the Holy Spirit or the saints. Everything was about me. I was kind of like my own idol…I was devastated. I was crying some more, and now I have a puddle underneath me…I was just devastated – the sins that I saw.”

The part of the 'movie' where he cried the most was when he was shown the moments when his mom called to check on him.  He said, "I was just so busy trying to make my millions, I just didn't have time to talk to her. I was on my way to the gym to work out and I'd be short with her...God showed me how I hurt her, not only in that moment, but for the rest of the day and maybe even the rest of the week."

He said, "In this experience I saw the way God saw me. There was so much pain in my heart and so much remorse. I just kept saying, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Forgive me.’ He said he was led to confession and he came to realize that he was given a great gift and he thought, ‘I can change that hour!!!’ I can make it better. I can make amends. I can ask for forgiveness for all the people I’ve hurt.'"

Our Lord mentions in the gospel today what the kingdom of heaven is like. When you think of heaven and the people who live there, do you picture persons who are selfish, prideful, and greedy? Rather, we believe that persons living in heaven are self-giving, humble, and loving. If today Our Lord calls us to heaven, can we honestly say to Him, "Yep, I'm qualified to enter?" So Our Lord uses a parable of the weeds in the field to describe what happens at the end, where He will send His angels to separate out the ones who sinned and caused others to sin. A deeper meaning of this parable is that Our Lord sows daily the good seeds in us--the gifts to be able to be self-giving, to be compassionate, and to be loving. Yet we also have to contend with the enemy's attempts to sow weeds--selfishness, pride, anger, and greed. Each day we're called to look at our lives, to see that we are a reflection of God's love. Where do we see ourselves right now? Sorted with the good seeds or sorted with the weeds? It's a sobering question for all of us, that without God's mercy not one of us can confidently say that we deserve heaven. It's time for us to humbly admit that we need Our Lord to be the gardener of our hearts, carefully weeding out our selfishness. It is time to encounter this good, kind, and compassionate Gardener of our hearts through prayer, through Eucharist, and through Reconciliation. Our Lord has placed all of this grace before us and waits for us to ask Him for His help.

July 16, 2011 Saturday: Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

O Mary, Queen of all Saints, who art the beauty of Carmel,
how sweet it is for me to venerate thee under the title of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Even from the days of the Apostles,
thou hast been honored under this mystic title; I am
filled with joy as I consecrate myself to thee, O holy Mary,
most unworthy though I am to be thy servant, yet touched
by thy motherly care for me and longing to serve thee, in
the presence of my Guardian Angel and the court of Heaven,
I choose thee this day to be my Queen, my Advocate, and
my Mother, and I firmly purpose to serve thee ever more and
to do what I can that all may render faithful service to thee.

Therefore, most devoted Mother, through the Precious Blood
thy Son poured out for me, and through the promises of thee as
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I beg thee, deign to take me among
thy clients and receive me as thy servant forever.

O beauty of Carmel, glory of Libanus, thou purest of lilies,
mystic rose in the garden of the Church, I salute thee!
O Virgin of virgins, be mindful of me in my misery, and show
thyself my Mother. Shed upon me ever more and more the
living light of that faith which made thee blessed; inflame with that
Heavenly love wherewith thou didst love thy dear Son, jesus Christ.

Do thou, Mother of God, who hast such power and might, obtain
for me from blessed Jesus, the Heavenly gifts of humility, chastity,
and meekness, which were the fairest ornaments of thine
Immaculate soul. Do thou grant me to be strong in the midst
of the temptations and bitterness which so often overwhelm my spirit.
Aid me in every action, and beg for me the grace, never, by word or
deed or thought, to be displeasing in thy sight and that of thy most
holy Son. Think of me my dearest Mother, and desert me not at
the hour of death. Amen. [Kiss your scapular.]

Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of the Scapular, pray for us!

July 15, 2011 Friday: 15th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

Although Moses and Aaron performed various wonders in Pharaoh’s presence, the LORD made Pharaoh obstinate, and he would not let the children of Israel leave his land.(Ex 11:10-11)

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July 14, 2011 Thursday: 15th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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Heartsongs
by Mattie J.T. Stepanek

I have a song, deep in my heart,
And only I can hear it.
If I close my eyes and sit very still
It is so easy to listen to my song.
When my eyes are open and
I am so busy and moving and busy,
If I take time and listen very hard,
I can still hear my Heartsong.
It makes me feel happy.
Happier than ever.
Happier than everywhere
And everything and everyone
In the whole wide world
Happy like thinking about Going to Heaven when I die.
My Heartsong sounds like this:

I love you! I love you!
How happy you can be!
How happy you can make
The whole world be!

And sometimes it's other
Tunes and words, too,
But it always sings the
Same special feeling to me.
It makes me think of
Jamie, and Katie and Stevie,
And other wonderful things.
This is my special song.
But do you know what?
All people have a special song
Inside their hearts!
Everyone in the show wide world
Has a special Heartsong.
If you believe in magical, musical hearts,
And if you believe you can be happy,
Then you, too, will hear your song.

July 13, 2011 Wednesday: 15th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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Where can we experience today that presence of God that Moses experienced with the Burning Bush?

July 10, 2011: 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

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I remember as a child, accompanying my mom on her shopping trips to department stores in Seoul, Korea. One particular time as we were walking on the street between stores, I heard a man on a megaphone yelling out something. There where he was standing was a large sign in Korean which read, "Jesus saves!" and people were busily walking past him and continuing toward clothing shops. The tone of his voice was angry, and as a child who didn't know much about Jesus yet, I was afraid to get near the preacher. That encounter with the preacher was a very different experience compared to what I recall feeling when I went to mass as a child, where I often took naps on my mom's lap. The electric organ played softly in the background, there was much silence between the exchanges between the priest and the congregation, and there I felt peace.  


There is something about gentleness and silence that invites the Prince of Peace into our hearts. People have said to me, "Father, I try to pray, but the first thing that happens is that I fall asleep." The first thing that I tell them is that God thanks them for trying to pray because He knows that it took a great sacrifice of time, away from our phones, Internet, our TV, our distractions in attempts to speak to Him. Secondly, I remind them of what one of our greatest saints, St. Therese of Lisieux, nicknamed the Little Flower, said about falling asleep in prayer. She said it was natural for a little child to feel so safe and loved in their Father's arms that they slip into sleep. She said we should feel blessed that our Heavenly Father loves us so much and we should continue to be as a little child in his arms. She said we should continue to trust him to never lead us astray.

Sometimes, trusting our Heavenly Father like a little child can be difficult. Last Sunday, I went to a hospice to visit a lady who was dying and I asked her, "Are you afraid or fearful of anything?" She replied, "Father, I'm afraid. I don't know why, but I'm afraid at times, about dying." I said, "When we know what happens at the end of our life, then we may not be afraid as much." Then I told her about the experience of persons who have been to heaven through near-death-experiences. Many said that they felt complete peace and unconditional love envelop them. Many encountered Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and were no longer afraid of death after encountering Him.


When visiting with the dying, especially those who feel agitated and fearful, I am amazed at how the reading of Psalm 23 comforts them and brings them peace. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; 
He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. 
He leads me in paths of righteousness 
for His name's sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
I fear no evil; 

for You are with me; 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; 
and I shall dwell in the house of the 

Lord forever. 

If these divinely inspired words can bring calm and peace to a troubled soul at the time of the most difficult challenge of life--our death--think then how the Word of God can bring calm and peace into our busy, distracted, and disjointed lives. Jesus pointed out in the Gospel today, "The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." 


There are many distractions in our daily lives and we can easily be lured by worldly ways that will lead us to dry, rocky ground. We must want to be on good soil, which means that we must take the time to read and understand the scriptures and to speak to the Father, Son, and Spirit through prayer.  How many of us feel that dryness inside of us? And how many of us would like the gentle raindrops of the Word of God to refresh us everyday. All it takes is silence and desire. 

July 8, 2011 Friday: 14th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”
(Genesis 46:28-30)

July 7, 2011 Thursday: 14th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers.  When they had done so, he said:
“I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”
(Genesis 45:1-5)

July 6, 2011 Wednesday: St. Maria Goretti

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On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
“Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest, only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison, while the rest of you may go and take home provisions for your starving families. But you must come back to me with your youngest brother. Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die.”
(Genesis 42:18)


St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902)
from www.americancatholic.org

One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonization—250,000—symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple story of Maria Goretti.
She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer, had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When she made her First Communion not long before her death at age 12, she was one of the larger and somewhat backward members of the class.

On a hot afternoon in July, Maria was sitting at the top of the stairs of her house, mending a shirt. She was not quite 12 years old, but physically mature. A cart stopped outside, and a neighbor, Alessandro, 18 years old, ran up the stairs. He seized her and pulled her into a bedroom. She struggled and tried to call for help. “No, God does not wish it," she cried out. "It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began striking at her blindly with a long dagger.

She was taken to a hospital. Her last hours were marked by the usual simple compassion of the good—concern about where her mother would sleep, forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything lest she cause trouble to his family) and her devout welcoming of Viaticum, her last Holy Communion. She died about 24 hours after the attack.

Her murderer was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria, gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was released after 27 years, his first act was to go to beg the forgiveness of Maria’s mother.

Devotion to the young martyr grew, miracles were worked, and in less than half a century she was canonized. At her beatification in 1947, her mother (then 82), two sisters and a brother appeared with Pope Pius XII on the balcony of St. Peter’s. Three years later, at her canonization, a 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli knelt among the quarter-million people and cried tears of joy.

July 5, 2011 Tuesday: 14th Week in Ordinary Time (A)

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Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled. The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” The man asked, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
(Genesis 32:25)

July 3, 2011: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

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Back in 2001 in the early morning at 5:30AM at St. Teresa Catholic Church in Gonzales, I was inside the church in darkness, praying. For a few months, I had been serving the early morning daily mass for Fr. Phil Spano before heading to work at the chemical plant. By then, attending daily mass had become an essential part of my routine and I felt that I missed out on something if I did not go to mass before work. That morning was a little different, though. I had already submitted my application to enter the Diocese of Baton Rouge as a seminarian. A new chapter of my life was unfolding before me, and I had some apprehension about giving up my engineering job in a few months and plunging into something that I had been mysteriously drawn to--priesthood.

Only a few months prior to that morning, I had been in Eastern Europe for a pilgrimage. For several years I had been drawn to Blessed Mother and I was curious about her appearance in a little village in Croatia called Medjugorje. There was not much to see there other than rock-mountains and a church. One morning as I walked around the church in the village, several lines of people were waiting to go to confession. The doors to the confessionals were labeled according to which language was spoken--Polish, English, German, Italian, even Korean. Some priests were on the benches, hearing confessions there. The whole sight moved me.

Later in the evening, I went to attend the Croatian mass and found that it was standing room only in the church. Although I could not understand the language, I knew that we were praying the Joyous Mystery together and then the mass began. After the mass, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and the Sorrowful and the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary were prayed. A priest carried the monstrance through the church, and I really felt Jesus' presence throughout the whole church.

Talking with the pilgrims in my tour group, I got the sense that many had brought burdens with them on this pilgrimage. One lady was going through a divorce, and she wanted Jesus to help ease the pain. Another lady had a son suffering with cancer, and she wanted Blessed Mother to implore Jesus for healing. A young lady in our group had come because she felt she had lost direction in her life. Each pilgrim somehow felt called by Jesus to travel thousands of miles to a small village in Croatia, to encounter him in a special way. Jesus who is gentle and humble of heart had come to each of them to offer rest--rest for the weary and the burdened, rest for those with only troubles in their lives, rest for those who had been taken advantage of in some way. Jesus came in meekness to offer rest to all of them. Near the end of the trip, each of them commented that Jesus had made them realize that they could experience this rest and peace at mass in their own churches back in the United States. On this pilgrimage, they realized that they were asked by Jesus to carry a new burden, a burden of truth and love. United with Jesus, knowing His love for them, they realized that their burdens would not be taken away, but that they would know and experience Jesus' comfort. They knew that Jesus was going to be with them.

Back at the early morning at St. Teresa's Church in Gonzales, I waited for Fr. Phil to vest for 6AM mass. A couple of minutes before we walked out into the sanctuary, Fr. Phil asked me, "Paul, have you ever considered priesthood?" I replied with a smile, "Yes, Father. I have already submitted an application with the Diocese." He was surprised. I left that morning mass to go to work with hope--hope that just as Fr. Phil brought Jesus in the Eucharist to comfort those who were burdened, that someday, I would be able to receive that privilege of grace from Jesus. That was 10 years ago and that grace that I hoped and prayed for continues to flow to me abundantly.

As a priest, I have different burdens to carry, not only my own burdens, but I also have the privilege to walk along side parishioners and carry their burdens as well.  Together, through this Eucharist, we will continue to experience the rest and peace the Lord has offered us.

July 2, 2011 Saturday: Immaculate Heart of Mary

By Blessed Elizabeth of Trinity

"Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart" (Lk 2,19)

"The Virgin kept all these things in her heart." Her whole history can be summed up in these few words! It was within her heart that she lived, and at such a depth that no human eye can follow her. When I read in the Gospel "that Mary set out in haste to the hill country of Judea" (Lk 1,39) to perform her loving service for her cousin Elizabeth, I imagine her passing by so beautiful, so calm and so majestic, so absorbed in recollection of the Word of God within her. Like Him, her prayer was always this: «...Here I am" Who? ''The handmaid of the Lord," (Lk 1,38) the lowliest of His creatures: she, His Mother! Her humility was so real for she was always forgetful, unaware, freed from self. And she could sing: "The Mighty One has done great things for me, from now on all peoples will call me blessed" (Lk 1,49.48). This Queen of virgins is also Queen of martyrs; but again it was in her heart that the sword pierced, for with her everything took place withinl ... Oh! How beautiful she is to contemplate during her long martyrdom, so serene, enveloped in a kind of majesty that radiates both strength and gentleness! She learned from the Word Himself how those must suffer whom the Father has chosen as victims, those whom He has decided to associate with Himself in the great work of redemption, those whom He "has foreknown and predestined to be conformed to His Christ," (Rom 8,29) crucified by love. She is there at the foot of the Cross, standing, full of strength and courage.

From Blessed Elizabeth's Last retreat, 15th day (©Institute of Carmelite Studies)

July 2, 2011 Saturday: Our Lady's message from Medjugorje

Dear children,
today I call you to a difficult and painful step for your unity with my Son. I call you to complete admission and confession of sins, to purification. An impure heart cannot be in my Son and with my Son. An impure heart cannot give the fruit of love and unity. An impure heart cannot do correct and just things; it is not an example of the beauty of God’s love to those who surround it and to those who have not come to know that love. You, my children, are gathering around me full of enthusiasm, desires and expectations, and I implore the Good Father to, through the Holy Spirit, put my Son – faith, into your purified hearts. My children, obey me, set out with me.
(Medjugorje message, July 2, 2011)

July 1, 2011 Friday: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Fire! Fire in my heart! This morning it is burning...... Dear Jesus, I love you so much! I shall endeavor always to love You; I shall live to love You; I shall die to love You!....Give me wings oh Jesus, so I can fly to Your throne! ".....Can You see that as soon as the day breaks I think of You? As evening comes, I am near You.....I am near You at every moment.......I love You, Jesus....." "Jesus is the owner of my heart, and belonging to Him I find that I can smile, even in the midst of tears.""....Oh Jesus, it is you alone that I wish to love! I no longer belong to myself. I am Yours...."
-St Gemma Galgani