The Dark Night of the Church

Reading 11 COR 5:1-8
(See below)

Today's readings couldn't be more appropriate and this is just how Jesus works.  His word is for all times and all people and it sure seems we have readings like this just when it fits situations going on around us. Make no doubt about it, this reading couldn't come at a better time!

The current situation in the Catholic Church is devastating and is going to get worse before it gets better! God, our Father, has heard the cry of the poor! Make no doubt about it, He will take this situation and make good out of it, purifying His Church, His Bride!

It's going to be long and difficult but necessary in order for the Church to be as it is supposed to be.

We, as Catholics, have to be even stronger now.  Pray and fast more, make reparation, go to Adoration and adore the Lord for all those who have committed these horrible acts and for all the victims of them, pray the Rosary.  Beg for God's mercy on the whole situation.

It is going to take all the true, faithful Catholics uniting together in all these things to bring the Church through her dark night; remembering that in the dark night, the reason it's so dark, is because our Father is even closer. He made the promise He would never leave us alone.

It's so important  to remember the (C)hurch, big C, is not the people, it's Jesus! The (c)hurch, little c,  is the people and it's those that we have righteous anger at, priest's,  deacons, religious sister's and brother's that have been given such a profound roles and have abused it in so many ways! We must  remember however that not all of these people are abusive but rather suffer greatly because of what the other's  have done. It's these that we are grateful for and to! Pray for them and the strength they need in all of this!

When it seems we just can't take anymore I offer two great Scriptures: Roman's 8:28-39 and Exodus 14:13-14. 

We need to hold firm in faith that God, our Father, will take care of this!

Pray for us Holy Mother  of God, Our Lady of Perpetual  Help!

"Brothers and sisters:

It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not appropriate. 
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Responsorial PsalmPS 5:5-6, 7, 12

R. (9) Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.

Jesus resolutely went to Jerusalem

Have you ever thought deeply about the fact Jesus knew what awaited him yet he resolutely went to Jerusalem. 

In today's gospel this is what we hear.  We also hear how he was meeting much opposition and did so on the rest of the way to Jerusalem.  As a matter of fact, the opposition got worse as he got closer to Calvary. 

I've  thought about what drove him to resolutely do this, to be so determined and the answer is he was able to do so out of total love and obedience of the Father and love for each one of us.  Each one before him, those that lived at that time, and every person that would ever live! That's breath taking when you actually think of it in this way!

So it brought me to ponder these questions, do I love the Father so much that I resolutely go forward in each day, meeting oppositions with love and out of love?  Am I willing to accept the trials of each day knowing my Father allows them for the purpose he desires to do through me and for me for his greater honor and glory? Am I will do go to the extreme for another person if asked? Do I get angry with my situation and blame others or even God? What is God doing in my life right now that I may  be hindering because I am not determined to let his will be done in, with, and through me and why?

May we each resolutely meet oppositions with our focus soley for the love of our Father and our God, out of obedience, knowing he is always in it with us and that it is for his greater honor and glory!

Praying with Jesus in the Womb of Mary

Thus is so beautiful!  I am sharing  it from Creighton University's Online Ministries Praying with Jesus in the Womb “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Luke 1:30 “he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary” Nicene Creed - the New Roman Missal We know his life on this earth began in the womb, at the moment of his conception. And, so we know that the first part of his journey among us - the first part of the Word of God taking flesh and dwelling among us - was nine months in his mother's womb. But, we rarely reflect on this part of the presence of “God with us.” This exercise of our imagination for an Ignatian Contemplation with Jesus during that immersion into our life's journey is aided (except for a professional image of a developing embryo) by ultrasound images of a 5 month old child in the womb, just 10 inches long. This child will help us spend some time letting this profound reality touch our hearts and celebrate Jesus' entry into our world and to welcome Jesus into our hearts now. From the moment that - “by the power of the Holy Spirit” - the life of Jesus began in Mary's womb, Jesus became one with us. He didn't magically appear as an adult. He began his life journey as a tiny, bundle of cells. We can imagine those cells multiplying so quickly, day by day and week by week - silently, imperceptibly. But, this human life was already “God, made one of us.” No one could imagine God could be human. And, now we can imagine our God coming among us in this developing, new life - so small, so dependent, so powerless. We can feel the gratitude welling up within us as we contemplate the unseen journey of Jesus being “knit” in his mother's womb (Psalm 139). Though Son of God, he is becoming Son of Mary. We can imagine that already, in this very fine development, he is taking on her flesh, her cells, her shape, her looks, her heart. It is so slow, and yet, so planned. It is a journey which none of us can remember, but which every one of us took, to become who we are. And, now we contemplate that profound solidarity with us which our Savior began - even in the womb, for us. Already, this sense we have of his entry into our experience helps us remember that he shared our human journey and we never need to feel alone, on any part of our journey. He became one of us by taking on the very way we enter this world. This transition to a life born into this world, and the continuing journey of a child, a young person, and finally as an adult, is one Jesus made, for us. And, in these moments, as we contemplate this mystery and its meaning for us, we grow in gratitude for that first coming and we grow in our longing for our relationship with Jesus to develop in intimacy and love. Our praying is helped by our imagination. In this case, we are imagining something we know happened, but for which we have not usually had a visual image. We begin by naming our desire here. We ask to be blessed with the gift of hope. We long to be renewed in a sense of God's love for us in Jesus - by this coming here and now, where we need him the most. The promises which were fulfilled in this new life stir our hearts to have faith in those promises in the most challenging times of our journey today. This imaginative prayer allows us to pray more deeply, “Come, Lord Jesus. We await your coming. Come, O Lord.” In this contemplation, we want to slow down our reflection and enter into the details and to acknowledge the silence, the slow growth, the precious reality of our Lord and Savior's taking on life as a human being. If we begin by imagining Jesus' foot in the womb, we can begin to savor, with wonder and awe the reality of this gift. We can picture Mary washing this little foot, right after giving birth to Jesus and laying him in the manger, unconcerned about the lowliness of that place. We can imagine that this tiny foot became the foot which walked our earth. With this foot, he learned to walk. Perhaps this foot was sandaled most of his life. Perhaps this foot was stubbed on the carpenter's bench in Joseph's workshop. This is the foot which left home and headed to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Of course, the sinful woman taught us about gratitude for his mercy by kissing and crying on this foot, and drying it with her hair. This foot stumbled along the way to his Crucifixion, where this foot was nailed to a cross - all for us. We can imagine his hands growing in the womb, slowly becoming the hands which first touched Mary's face and Joseph's beard. This little hand developed into the hand that learned to be a carpenter, a person with a trade, for others. With this hand, he embraced children and offered his tender touch to the sick and sinners. We remember this would become the hands with which he washed his disciples' feet as an example for our life of union with him. We know one day that he took the bread and the wine in this same hand and, giving thanks to God, gave it to his disciples, saying “This is my body. This is my blood.” And, the next day, the now adult, outstretched hand was nailed to a cross - all for us. As we contemplate Jesus, growing in the womb, becoming our servant Savior, it is touching to imagine his developing face. This profile of a face in the womb is the merest suggestion of the growth of the human face of our God with us. At this point, he would already be taking on his mother's features and developing her eyes. He'd have her nose, her chin, her ears and eventually, her hair. On this face in the womb are the smallest signs of reacting to stimuli, even pain. This face would one day give joy to the shepherds, the first of his people to see it, and the Magi, the first of the gentiles to look upon him. When he was a baby, he must have cried and felt hunger and he must laughed and smiled a lot. We can imagine the developing face of the child of Nazareth, the Jesus who smiled at his friends, even though the rumors swirled that he was illegitimate. We can give thanks for the face which looked up to heaven at his Baptism and saw the sky opened, with that powerful affirmation from God, his Father, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” And the loving face of Jesus, which developed slowly and inevitably, was the face which tenderly interacted with many who had the privilege of seeing it in his lifetime. This is the same face which was spat upon and was covered with blood from the mocking crown of thorns, all for us. As we conclude this contemplation of Jesus in the womb, we pause for a moment to reflect upon his heart, which developed, just like our hearts did, but which became not only the organ which pumped blood to invigorate the rest of his body, but which became the very image of his self-sacrificing love. In the West, we speak of the heart as the center of our emotions and feelings and the source of our loving. This little heart became a heart big enough to love sinners, the sick, the marginal. This heart was “on fire” with compassion and mercy. The heart of Jesus, which began beating in the womb of Mary, was eventually the sacred heart which was pierced with a lance on the cross and which, in the eyes of faith of John the Apostle and Evangelist, poured out the blood and water of the sacramental life of the Church which sustains us now. Into that wound in his side, the Risen Lord invited Thomas to put his hand and to believe. He told us that we are blessed who have not seen with our eyes, yet believe. Lord, Jesus, we thank you for these moments of grace in which you have opened our eyes to await your coming to us with expectant hope. Just as Mary was expecting to deliver you into this world, we hope to receive you into our hearts. Through this reflection, we are deeply grateful for the human way you came to us, the deep solidarity with all of humanity you have revealed to us. We give you thanks for these images which help us put together the hidden development of your body, which you so fully gave to us in the love you showed us on earth and in the Eucharist and the Sacraments which continue to nourish us and sustain us. We feel closer to you and we ask for the further graces we need to open our hearts to your healing mercy and love. Come to us, O Lord. 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The Vine and The Branches

John 15:1-8

If you've ever planted a garden of any kind you know the labor of love, patience, commitment of time, hard work, and all the nurturing that goes into it.  You also know the waiting; watching as it sprouts up through the dirt, the ground and how the excitement begins as you watch the fruit of your labor grow and take shape into what it is to become.  The excitement grows as you think about what you will do with the fruits, whether it be vegetables  or flowers and you delight in this growth,  pruning it along the way, watering it, keeping weeds and bugs off of it. 

Our Father also delights in each one of us like this in the same way.  He delights in watching us grow.  He is committed and faithful to our vocations/ministry  because he sees the bigger picture.  His watering of love and mercy keeps us free of the junk that can try to stunt or stop our growth; it's the Sacraments and through daily prayer that this happens . Let us receive the graces contained in them with open arms so we can receive all that we need to be the beautiful fruit of the Father's labor.

Where is God wanting to prune you and why?  Where are you cooperating and where are you not?  Ask the Father to share with you what he sees when he looks at you and how he delights in your growth. Ask him how you are the fruit of his labor.

Let yes mean yes!

Mary's yes was not but or what if, it was just yes.  She focused on what would be rather than what could be.

We Must Try And Do What We Can To Defend The Truth

For Congress to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage exclusive to man and woman, please sign the petition.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/petitions/congress-pass-marriage-amendment-now/625668

"From the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island: Statement from Bishop Thomas J. Tobin - Supreme Court and "Same-Sex Marriage"

A thousand courts may rule otherwise, but the very notion of "same-sex marriage" is morally wrong and a blatant rejection of God’s plan for the human family. As Pope Francis taught while serving as Archbishop in Argentina: "Same-sex marriage is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan. It is a move of the ‘father of lies’ who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God."

Despite the current trends of our society, or perhaps because of them, the Church must redouble its commitment to proclaim and defend authentic concepts of marriage and family as we have received them from God. We will always do so, however, in a respectful, charitable and constructive manner."



'via Blog this'

Don't live trying to make the best of each day, let each day make the best of you

Each day gives us the opportunity to be our best if we let it. In each moment what is God saying to us through another person, event, nature, music or whatever it may be. Are we cooperating with his grace in it? Did we recognize him in it? Did we respond to it? If we really become constantly aware of who we are and who we are not, then we can let each day make us our best.

What do you want me to do for you?

Mark 10:46-52

What do you want me to do for you?

I watch the crowd around Bartimaeus yelling at him to be quiet as he yells louder and louder for Jesus.  My heart is moved at this mans determination to get Jesus’ attention.  He absolutely has no intention of giving into the crowds wishes. He has no fear  to make it known or no doubt that Jesus will hear him.  So, despite all of his circumstances, he continues to cry out.  I see Jesus take notice and begins moving toward him and I notice Jesus's face has such compassion on it.  I see that Bartimaeus’ desire seems to have really drawn Jesus;  his desire is so deep. I also notice that Jesus is focused only on Bartimaeus.  It doesn't matter to Jesus what the crowd thinks of this beggar.  Bartimaeus reaches Jesus despite of all his circumstances.   I watch as Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants Jesus to do for him and Bartimaeus says he wants to see.  Jesus simply says, "Go on your way; your faith has healed you."  Bartimaeus, once blind can now see!  By his faith he asked for what he wanted and received it. The crowd was silent and in amazement.  In my heart I am thinking, is my faith that deep? Do I believe Jesus wants to do the same for me?  Jesus then turns and fixes his gaze upon me.  He begins to move closer.  My heart is pounding with anticipation as he comes. Jesus, now standing in front of me, pauses and looks into my eyes as if to just take all of me in, he then smiles and says, "My beloved, what do you want me to do for you?"  

After meditating, I suggest listening to either of these songs or both

I Lift My Hands by Chris Tomlin or

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

Intimacy in the Holy Mass; A Priviledge and Honor

I have been pondering over the woman at the well scripture today and the profound intimacy in that encounter.  It reminds me of coming to the Eucharist in Holy Mass. That is such a profound time of intimacy with Jesus. We, like the woman at the well, should encounter change.  That's what love this deep and real does to us.  It changes us at our core. When we encounter love like this it leaves such an indelible mark on our soul that we never forget it.  Each time we should leave differently than the way we came. We should become one with Jesus, deeper and deeper.

 

Here's what's on my heart and my mind. Lately, I have been feeling the sense of being disturbed or like I've been cut off from Jesus after entering the Church and preparing for Mass. In looking at why I feel this way, I believe it is this.  There is no silence during this time to just be with Jesus.  Do we live in a world of such noise that we have to even bring it into our Masses? Are we that fearful of the silence? So much so that we would not know what to do in this great silence? We need to teach about how wonderful the gift of silence is. I also believe it is because of how relaxed we have become in understanding "where" we are and "Who" we are with.  We need to understand that we have entered heaven on earth and to the degree we believe and understand that heaven and earth are meeting will be to the degree we respond in this experience and if we truly believe that heaven on earth are meeting then we need to be examples of this, not in an arrogant or condescending way, but out of true love for our brothers and sisters; to teach by example. 

 

I think about the early church and how it must have been for them at Mass.  They must have really understood what it meant to enter into this silence and experience Jesus at the core of their being. They surely understood that heaven and earth were meeting. That they were entering into the profound heavenly liturgy and prepared appropriately for it!

 

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) clearly outlines the critical importance and specific instructions for the place of sacred silence in the Mass: “Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times,” the GIRM says. “Its purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts.

Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.” (#45)

 

I do not know about you but I am amazed at all the noise and visiting before Holy Mass that just continues to get worse inside the church! What has happened? Where and why did this start and why is it continuing?

 

One of the experiences that drew me into the Catholic Church was the first time I went to Mass.  This was 1979, I was fifteen years old and it was so quiet in there that you could have heard a pin drop on the carpet! I was in awe at the reverence that I experienced from the people.  So much so that it impacted my whole view and understanding that something really different and special was taking place here that wasn't in my protestant church.  I was experiencing God in a way that I had never know before.  I was so filled with the understanding that I was in God's presence in a way I was not familiar with and I wanted to be a part of that. I did not understand it at that time but I wanted it.  It was all because of the silence and really being able to focus on what was going on and most importantly "Who" was there in a very special way! I was really drawn into a reality that this was no casual happening or occurrence.

 

So where has that gone and why?  You walk into a Catholic church nowadays and wonder what is going on.  Do not get me wrong, I am not saying every Catholic is like this but for the most part it is so noisy one cannot even concentrate on praying and preparing before Mass!

 

Have we really forgotten how powerful God's presence is in the Tabernacle? How special it is that He came to be with us in this profound way? Our God, the One who loved us into our very existence, right there in our midst and we cannot even give him the reverence, attention, and love He deserves?

 

Please my fellow Catholics, let us return to our first love! Mass is not a social gathering and getting caught up on the past weeks events or where we are going to eat afterwards! It is not a time to be casual either in our dress and our actions. By casual I mean please make sure your body is appropriately covered!   

 

Mass is as Vatican II puts it: 

"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us" (Sacrosanctum Concilium 47). As far back as the Acts of the Apostles and Saint Paul's epistles, we find descriptions of the Christian community gathering to celebrate the Lord's Supper, the Eucharist. In the catacombs in Rome, the tombs of martyrs were used as altars for the celebration of the earliest forms of the Mass, making the tie between the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, its re-presentation in the Mass, and the strengthening of the faith of Christians explicit.

SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

Second Vatican Council- An excellent reading to more fully understand the Sacred Liturgy.

We are so privileged to be able to participate in this! It is an honor to be a Catholic and have Holy Mass! Holy Mass is not just another thing to "check off our to do list for the week", it is a profound invitation to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb! Jesus himself gave us this and it has been handed down through many centuries.  Remember as St. Paul told us in 1 Cor. 11:27-29, "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.  For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself."  This does NOT mean our being in a state of grace and having fasted for one hour only.  It also means our interior dispositions AND our exterior dress.   Here are the three things we must do before receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist.

Communion - Dispositions to Receive

The prerequisites for the reception of Holy Communion are 1) being in the state of grace, 2) having fasted for one hour (for the sick 15 minutes if possible, no fast if fasting is not possible), and 3) devotion and attention.1. State of Grace. As St. Paul notes in his letter to Corinth, reception after examining oneself is a prerequisite for worthy reception, otherwise Communion has the opposite from the desired effect of union with our Lord. This is why, out of respect for Christ and our own good, the Church obliges us to be in the state of grace when we receive. It should be noted, however, that some Catholics have the mistaken notion that they cannot go to Communion unless they go to Confession first. This is incorrect. Both the theology of the Church and her law oblige Confession ONLY when there is mortal sin. Confessions of devotion, however, are highly recommended. Thus, two errors are to be avoided, liberalism and rigorism. 1 Cor. 11:27-29 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. Canon. 916  A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or to receive the Body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession unless a grave reason is present and there is no opportunity of confessing; in this case the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible. [This is a truly exceptional permission that needs to be properly understood. It requires moral or physical impossibility to go to Confession and the necessity to receive Communion - such as a priest who MUST celebrate Mass.] Canon. 988 1. A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and in number all serious sins committed after baptism and not yet directly remitted through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which one is conscious after diligent examination of conscience. 2. It is to be recommended to the Christian faithful that venial sins also be confessed. 2. Fasting for One Hour. By ancient tradition Christians abstain from profane food prior to receiving the sacred food of the Eucharist. Until the pontificate of Pope Pius XII the Eucharistic fast was from midnight. Pope Pius reduced it to three hours, and after Vatican II, Pope Paul VI reduced it to one hour. The current Code of Canon Law states, Canon 919 1. One who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion. 2. A priest who celebrates the Most Holy Eucharist two or three times on the same day may take something before the second or third celebration even if the period of one hour does not intervene. 3. Those who are advanced in age or who suffer from any infirmity, as well as those who take care of them, can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have taken something during the previous hour. The Eucharistic fast is before Holy Communion, not the  Mass. It is a fast from food and drink, water is alright, as is medicine. The moral theology tradition teaches that to be food it must be a) edible, b) taken by mouth, and  c) swallowed. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, candies, breath mints, lozanges and anything that is put into the mouth to be dissolved or chewed meets these conditions once the dissolved contents are swallowed. Chewing gum does not break the fast, but it is disrespectful of the Sacred Liturgy and once the juice is swallowed the fast is broken. The tradition also teaches that the fast is strict - one hour, that is, 60 minutes. Given that until recently the fast was from midnight, this seems very little to ask of Catholics. 3. Devotion and Attention. Given the infinite value of the Lord, it should be evident that we should receive Him with great devotion, attending to our reception of Him and not to other matters. St. Paul states, 1 Corinthians 11:28-29  28 Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. While this certainly applies first and foremost to belief in the Real Presence, it also applies to the practical application of that belief, how we receive Holy Communion. If we had the opportunity to have an intimate meeting with the President or the Pope we would not have our minds, hearts and attention wandering all over the place. How much less ought they to be when receiving Holy Communion.  If it is disrespectful to the President or the Pope to ignore them while they are talking to us, how much more serious is it to ignore God when He is giving Himself to us! Our interior disposition cannot be separated from our exterior disposition. If we go to Communion chatting with our neighbor, or with our hands in our pockets, we are unlikely to have sufficient devotion to receive. A casual posture and behavior bespeaks a casual interior attitude toward something that is holy and deserves our full attention, body and soul. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, 1387  To prepare for worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the fast required in their Church. Bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing) ought to convey the respect, solemnity, and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest. If we do not satisfy the first two conditions (the state of grace and the fast) we may not go to Communion. If we do not satisfy this third one, we ought not go to Communion, unless we correct it by stirring up our fervor. We would receive Our Lord vainly, if we lacked devotion and attention to Him. We could even receive Him sacrilegiously, if we acted as if Holy Communion were NOT Him (1 Cor. 11:29). So, as a matter of morality Catholics must pay attention to their interior and exterior disposition when going to Communion. So please, again, let us ALL return to our first Love!  Let the fervor for Holy Mass be stirred up in our hearts once again.  If it is not there for you, ask God to stir it up once again for you. As soon as we walk into the doors of our Church let us be fully aware of exactly what and where we are entering into and Who is awaiting us. We are entering the Wedding Feast of the Lamb! Lets us dress properly for it, prepare for it in the silence of our hearts, and show the reverence and respect to our God and our Creator; the Lover of our souls! Let us once again become aware of the great gift we have while we still have it! Let us not take it for granted!

Disciples of Christ by Father Walter Nolte

          As disciples of Christ we are commissioned with an important task. We have been sent on mission into the world to reveal to it the truth of God’s unconditional love for us, and thereby lead it back to the Shepherd. What an awesome invitation Jesus has extended to us! He has asked us to share in His mission to make the Father visible to all the nations.

       Unfortunately, our memories are short. We have forgotten the task at hand and the sanctity of our mission. We have allowed ourselves to be evangelized by the world rather than for us to be its evangelist. We have encountered a crisis of faith that must be met with the mercy and truth of the Cross if it is to be overcome.

       In Jesus we see the merger of heaven and earth: the meeting place of humanity and divinity. In him we find the strength we need to fulfill our mission. Jesus is one with the Father, and His holiness flows from this perfect unity. It’s precisely this unity of heart that Jesus desires for His disciples as He sends them out into the world. It’s precisely this holiness in which He desires us to be consecrated.

       It’s time for us to reclaim our unique identity as evangelists and accept that we have been set apart for greater things. Jesus has equipped us with all the necessary tools. He has given us His love and His love is more powerful than the world. He brought this love with Him into our humanity and even carried it into death so the world might be redeemed through it. His love is the salve that will draw out the poison of our sin and despondency to our missionary mandate.

       God does not require us to be successful in our evangelical endeavor. Rather, he asks us to be obedient to His call and to step out in faith and to follow him wherever he may lead us. Thus, through our obedience He will be successful in leading souls to the heart of the Father.

Go and make a difference in the world!

Proper Authority

"Many people [in authority] oppose us, persecute us, and would like even to destroy us, but we must be patient. As long as their commands are not against our conscience, let us obey them, but when the case is otherwise, let us uphold the rights of God and of the Church, for those are superior to all earthly authority." — St. John Bosco

priestdude: Lead Butts

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The Danger of Criticizing Bishops and Priests- St.Catherine of Siena

Janice McGrew (jmcgrew89) on Twitter:

A Good Reminder The Danger of Criticizing Bishops and Priests (3) Liturgical Insubordination Another problem that emerges sometimes among those who would rather criticize than pray for bishops is deciding for themselves the form the liturgy should take. Some take on themselves the prerogative to make little changes in their responses at Mass, thereby causing division in precisely the place where we should be most unified. Whether it be rejecting a certain memorial acclamation, or responding in Latin when the congregation is responding in English, or substituting the word "God" for "he" or "him" for feminist purposes, any of these can be a distraction for others trying to lift their hearts and minds to God. It is not up to us to decide what is apt in the Mass, but the bishops. Surely, we should avoid doing something immoral, but besides that unlikely case, we should obediently follow the liturgy given to us by those chosen to do so. Whether we like a translation or not (and some seem to be lacking at times), we should accept and use what our superiors have given us. Far better to write a humble letter to the bishops than to change things on our own authority. And far better to pray for better translations. Losing Joy "God deliver me from gloomy saints!St. Teresa of Avila There is a further danger of being so ready to criticize bishops or priests: we can become very dour Catholics. The more we criticize and complain, the more we bring down the morale of the Church and the more gloomy we become. (St. Teresa of Avila said once, "God deliver me from gloomy saints!") Many sincere, orthodox Catholics have become sour people because they continued to dwell on the faults of the clergy, so sour that they have been unable to contribute something positive to the Church, despite their many talents.This is not to say we may not acknowledge the wrongs of priests and bishops, but we should do so reluctantly and with understatement. And then, we should move on to the positive, the things that will build up the Church and her morale. We should never dwell on the negative elements of priests and bishops-or anyone else, for that matter-because it will make us melancholy people, always ready to point out the negative aspect of any situation. The devil is most clever in bringing down those who sincerely love God and the Church. He gets them to dwell on the negative elements of the Church and thereby destroys their joy. We mustn't fall for this ruse. If we want to be holy, we must focus on the positive, and let nothing destroy our joy.   St. Catherine of Siena God the Father spoke to St. Catherine of Siena about his "ministers," the priests. She recorded it in her Dialogue: ...[It] is my intention that they be held in due reverence, not for what they are in themselves, but for my sake, because of the authority I have given them. Therefore the virtuous must not lessen their reverence, even should these ministers fall short in virtue. And, as far as the virtues of my ministers are concerned, I have described them for you by setting them before you as stewards of... my Son's body and blood and of the other sacraments. This dignity belongs to all who are appointed as such stewards, to the bad as well as to the good. ...[Because] of their virtue and because of their sacramental dignity you ought to love them. And you ought to hate the sins of those who live evil lives. But you may not for all that set ourselves up as their judges; this is not my will because they are my Christ's, and you ought to love and reverence the authority I have given them. You know well enough that if someone filthy or poorly dressed were to offer you a great treasure that would give you life, you would not disdain the bearer for love of the treasure, and the lord who had sent it, even though the bearer was ragged and filthy... You ought to despise and hate the ministers' sins and try to dress them in the clothes of charity and holy prayer and wash away their filth with your tears. Indeed, I have appointed them and given them to you to be angels on earth and suns, as I have told you. When they are less than that you ought to pray for them. But you are not to judge them. Leave the judging to me, and I, because of your prayers and my own desire, will be merciful to them. [1] Is judging the same as criticizing? It's close. The Random House American College Dictionary defines the word "criticize" as "1. To make judgments as to merits and faults. 2. To find fault." Clearly, the Lord wants prayers, not judgment for his priests. Alas, how sad that some are far more ready to judge (and criticize) priests than they are to pray for them! Imagine how much better off the Church would be if all the energy given to criticizing priests and bishops here devoted to prayer and penance for these men; and how much better off those who prayed and fasted would be! NOTES 1. Catherine of Siena; The Dialogue, translated by Suzanne Noffke, O.P., New York: Paulist Press, 1980, pp. 229-231.

Memorare - Danielle Rose (The prayer to Mary set to beautiful music)

“Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.”

Rev. Walter L. Nolte	Nov 19, 2013

“Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.”

St. Paul never minces any words when he writes to the early Christians. He says exactly what needs to be said when he needs to say it. His starting point is always the same. It’s one of love. His words convey a genuine desire for his spiritual children to not only know about God’s love for them but for them to also believe it in the depths of their hearts. The Father’s love is their inheritance, and it is ours as well.

Sadly, we don’t always believe in the Father’s love for us. Thus we are not able to understand His desire to provide for us in all things both spiritual and temporal. We mistakenly believe that everything depends upon us, and thus we neglect to be grateful to God when our efforts are rewarded. We slide slowly down the slippery slope from dependence upon God to an arrogant independence. We thank ourselves for the good things of life and curse at God for the bad things. We become lost in our pride.

The unrepentant thief (Gesmas) was lost in his pride. He cursed both God and man for the situation in which he found himself. He was not convinced of his own sinfulness so there was no way he could be convinced of Jesus’ ability to save him. The good thief (St. Dismas) on the other hand was convinced of his own sinfulness and therefore was able to recognize his need to be saved by Jesus.

In order for us to be able to fully receive the gift of our inheritance we must first be able to recognize our need for it. We must be convinced of our sinfulness and acknowledge it before God. We must take responsibility for our actions before God so that He can wash them away with His mercy and love.

This Sunday at 5pm we will have our parish reconciliation service. Additionally, our second graders will celebrate this healing sacrament for the first time. Please join us as we echo the words of St. Dismas and ask Jesus to remember us when He enters the Kingdom that is the Father’s Heart. We will never regret having our sins absolved. However, we will regret not doing so.

Take courage! The Master is calling you.

God bless,

Father Nolte

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