Young Men's Discipleship Camp 2010

I just uploaded my photos from the Young Men's Discipleship Camp 2010. Enjoy!

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Following Jesus Christ requires everything: as he has no place to lay His head, we are asked to have detachment from 'stuff'; as He is the author and giver of life, we are asked to leave the dead; and as we follow Him, we are asked to not look back to what we left behind.

Twelveth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus asks a question, "Who do you say that I am?" It is the question every Christian must answer, and from that we must follow Him by taking up our cross daily. If we get the answer wrong, say answering it that He is a mere teacher, a historical man with no real impact other than intellectual pursuit, then following Him makes no sense. But if we answer correctly, knowing that He is both Lord and Savior, we would ultimately be unable to do anything but to follow Him. But first, before we can answer the question, we must experience Jesus Christ - which we do in prayer, sacraments, service, and Scripture. May we know the Lord Jesus, and follow Him always!

Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2010

Love and forgiveness - one leads to the other... We hear of the woman, full of contrition, who pours her heart to the Lord as He reclined at table at a dinner thrown by a pharisee. It is interesting to note the only three people specifically mentioned - Simon, Jesus, and the woman. Simon judges the woman and Jesus - thinking that He cannot be a prophet because He allows the woman to touch Him. The woman comes and cries over her sins and bathes His feet, wipes them, and anoints them. She humbles herself. Jesus tells the story of forgiveness, implying that this woman would be more thankful because she understood the un-payable debt that she carried - without any human way of paying it. She just simply loves - and the Lord forgives. He does not dismiss her as a sinner, nor dismiss her sin.

May we love the Lord, and come to Him aware of sin, but more importantly aware of the forgiveness He gives.

Corpus Christi, 2010

As we celebrate Corpus Christi this weekend, we celebrate the source and summit of our Catholic faith. Everything we are is from and leads to the Eucharist, and as such we ought to ask if we are allowing Jesus to be such in our life.

From the Sequence:

Sion, lift thy voice and sing;
Praise thy Savior and thy King;
Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true:
Dare thy most to praise Him well;
For He doth all praise excel;
None can ever reach His due.
Special theme of praise is thine,
That true living Bread divine,
That life-giving flesh adored,
Which the brethren twelve received,
As most faithfully believed,
At the Supper of the Lord.
Let the chant be loud and high;
Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Felt to-day in every breast;
On this festival divine
Which recounts the origin
Of the glorious Eucharist.

At this table of the King,
Our new Paschal offering
Brings to end the olden rite;
Here, for empty shadows fled,
Is reality instead;
Here, instead of darkness, light.

His own act, at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
In His memory divine;
Wherefore now, with adoration,
We the Host of our salvation
Consecrate from bread and wine.

Hear what holy Church maintaineth,
That the bread its substance changeth
Into Flesh, the wine to Blood.
Doth it pass thy comprehending?
Faith, the law of sight transcending,
Leaps to things not understood.

Here in outward signs are hidden
Priceless things, to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things, are all we see:-
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine;
Yet is Christ, in either sign,
All entire confessed to be.

They too who of Him partake
Sever not, nor rend, nor break,
But entire their Lord receive.
Whether one or thousands eat,
All receive the selfsame meat,
Nor the less for others leave.

Both the wicked and the good
Eat of this celestial Food;
But with ends how opposite!
Here 'tis life; and there 'tis death;
The same, yet issuing to each
In a difference infinite.

Nor a single doubt retain,
When they break the Host in twain,
But that in each part remains
What was in the whole before;
Since the simple sign alone
Suffers change in state or form,
The Signified remaining One
And the Same forevermore

Lo! upon the Altar lies,
Hidden deep from human eyes,
Angels' Bread from Paradise
Made the food of mortal man:
Children's meat to dogs denied;
In old types foresignified;
In the manna from the skies,
In Isaac, and the Paschal Lamb.

Jesu! Shepherd of the sheep!
Thy true flock in safety keep.
Living Bread! Thy life supply;
Strengthen us, or else we die;
Fill us with celestial grace:
Thou, who feedest us below!
Source of all we have or know!
Grant that with Thy Saints above,
Sitting at the Feast of Love,
We may see Thee face to face. Amen