Who Is A Priest?

Ignatius Insight has reprinted an article Who Is A Priest? by Fr. Benedict Ashley, O.P. At quick reading, seems to be thorough and yet concise at the same time.

To preach well is to...

Insight Scoop posted an article about a book by Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P., Why Preach: Encountering Christ in God's Word. The article stresses that a preachers task is speaking of the vocation of all men. They quote Pope Benedict, "The aim of preaching is to tell man who is and what he must do to be himself. Its intention is to disclose to him the truth about himself, that is, what he can base his life on and what he can die for."

Logos Bible Software for Catholics

Logos Software has released software for Catholic users. See their Logos Bible Software Blog. For more information, check out their Product Guide - Catholic Resources page, too.

I have used their software in the past (on PC's) while in seminary. It was easy to use and had great sources for Scripture studies. They recently released a Mac Version of the software platform. As I have and use a Mac, I have not used the Mac version, and am looking at purchasing in the future (but which version?).

Year of the New Priest

Tim Drake has written an article for the National Catholic Register entitled Year of the New Priest. It's worth a read, too.

Heart of a Priest

The National Catholic Register (always a great read!) has a wonderful article on Heart of a Priest by Joseph Pronechen, reflecting on the priesthood in the light of the Sacred Heart and Year of the Priest.

"The day is a perfect reminder to renew this devotion to Jesus, while also remembering the “special sons” of his Sacred Heart."

Msgr. Stuart Swetland says, “We see that in the tenderness and mercy embodied in Jesus’ heart... He also reveals to us how we can be and should be, especially how we are to be tender and merciful to others.”

Jesus makes our vocation clear. “We see both the divine and human aspects,” says Msgr. Swetland. “We see God’s mercy shining through and God’s call for us to be merciful.”

The priest acts “in persona Christi to reveal the merciful love of the Father through the sacrament of reconciliation, through the Eucharist... In his pastoral zeal, he reveals God’s mercy.”

It’s the Year of the Priest. Have you commended to the Sacred Heart a priest close to your heart lately?

Vocations Views New Edition

I just posted the Vocations Views - Current Edition online. Either Option click to download or click to read online.

Letter from Cardinal Hummes

The Congregation for the Clergy released a Letter from Cardinal Hummes regarding The Year of Priesthood.

The Year of Priesthood

Dear Priests,

The Year of Priesthood, announced by our beloved Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of the saintly Curé of Ars, St. John Mary Vianney, is drawing near. It will be inaugurated by the Holy Father on the 19th June, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. The announcement of the Year of Priesthood has been very warmly received, especially amongst priests themselves. Everyone wants to commit themselves with determination, sincerity and fervour so that it may be a year amply celebrated in the whole world – in the Dioceses, parishes and in every local community – with the warm participation of our Catholic people who undoubtedly love their priests and want to see them happy, holy and joyous in their daily apostolic labours.

It must be a year that is both positive and forward looking in which the Church says to her priests above all, but also to all the Faithful and to wider society by means of the mass media, that she is proud of her priests, loves them, honours them, admires them and that she recognises with gratitude their pastoral work and the witness of the their life. Truthfully priests are important not only for what they do but also for who they are. Sadly, it is true that at the present time some priest have been shown to have been involved in gravely problematic and unfortunate situations. It is necessary to investigate these matters, pursue judicial processes and impose penalties accordingly. However, it is also important to keep in mind that these pertain to a very small portion of the clergy. The overwhelming majority of priests are people of great personal integrity, dedicated to the sacred ministry; men of prayer and of pastoral charity, who invest their entire existence in the fulfilment of their vocation and mission, often through great personal sacrifice, but always with an authentic love towards Jesus Christ, the Church and the people, in solidarity with the poor and the suffering. It is for this reason that the Church is proud of her priests wherever they may be found.

May this year be an occasion for a period of intense appreciation of the priestly identity, of the theology of the Catholic priesthood, and of the extraordinary meaning of the vocation and mission of priests within the Church and in society. This will require opportunities for study, days of recollection, spiritual exercises reflecting on the Priesthood, conferences and theological seminars in our ecclesiastical faculties, scientific research and respective publications.

The Holy Father, in announcing the Year in his allocution on the 16th March last to the Congregation for the Clergy during its Plenary Assembly, said that with this special year it is intended “to encourage priests in this striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends”. For this reason it must be, in a very special way, a year of prayer by priests, with priests and for priests, a year for the renewal of the spirituality of the presbyterate and of each priest. The Eucharist is, in this perspective, at the heart of priestly spirituality. Thus Eucharistic adoration for the sanctification of priests and the spiritual motherhood of religious women, consecrated and lay women towards priests, as previously proposed some time ago by the Congregation for the Clergy, could be further developed and would certainly bear the fruit of sanctification.

May it also be a year in which the concrete circumstances and the material sustenance of the clergy will be considered, since they live, at times, in situations of great poverty and hardship in many parts of the world.

May it be a year as well of religious and of public celebration which will bring the people – the local Catholic community – to pray, to reflect, to celebrate, and justly to give honour to their priests. In the ecclesial community a celebration is a very cordial event which expresses and nourishes Christian joy, a joy which springs from the certainty that God loves us and celebrates with us. May it therefore be an opportunity to develop the communion and friendship between priests and the communities entrusted to their care.

Many other aspects and initiatives could be mentioned that could enrich the Year of Priesthood, but here the faithful ingenuity of the local churches is called for. Thus, it would be good for every Dioceses and each parish and local community to establish, at the earliest opportunity, an effective programme for this special year. Clearly it would be important to begin the Year with some notable event. The local Churches are invited on the 19th June next, the same day on which the Holy Father will inaugurate the Year of Priesthood in Rome, to participate in the opening of the Year, ideally by some particular liturgical act and festivity. Let those who are able most surely come to Rome for the inauguration, to manifest their own participation in this happy initiative of the Pope.

God will undoubtedly bless with great love this undertaking; and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Clergy, will pray for each of you, dear priests.

Cláudio Cardinal Hummes
Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo
Prefect, Congregation for the Clergy.

Pope2you

This weekend is World Communications Day in the Church Universal. His Holiness Pope Benedict has the theme New Technologies, New Relationships: Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship for this year. In his letter for this day, he writes about the new technologies (Cell phones, internet, mobile computers, and social websites) as being great helps to the evangelization effort of the Church, but also at times great hinderance to Christian living. There is a culture of disrespect, crass language, and hostility in many sectors. He states that the desire for connection and friendship is good, but needs to be seen as part of the totality of life to grow in our gifts and talents and put them to use. As part of his effort, the Pope officially launches the Vatican's own youth-oriented website Pope2you.net. (They have a facebook application, iPhone apps, and other items already on!) Check it out!

Parents' Duty Website

The Catholic Culture site often provides great reviews of various Catholic (or so-called Catholic) websites. They recently reviewed a site called Parents' Duty. I perused the site briefly, and it looks like an excellent resource for parents to help them raise their children aware of a Vocation. Check it out at www.parentsduty.com

I am now on Facebook

I just started a Facebook account through my email toddpetersen @ mac.com! Feel free to add me as a friend!

Cardinal Arinze Presents "Letter to Young Priest"

A new book by Cardinal Arinze, "Letter to Young Priest", was announced by ZENIT news yesterday. The article seems to hit the highlights of the book. He addresses the priestly promises of celibacy, poverty, and obedience. It looks like an excellent book for a priest or seminarian in need of a little encouragement.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary TIme

The kingdom of heaven cannot be bought or sold. It is received as a gift by those who love God and respond to His will for their lives. In this weekend's Gospel, we hear Jesus telling parables about the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, or a pearl of great price, that whoever would find it can immediately recognize its value, then go and sell all that he or she has in order to purchase it. These are beautiful parables for us to mediate on, when contemplating a vocation. But Jesus does only briefly mentions a step that His hearers must have understood - the person who finds it has to be looking for it, and has to know what a treasure or pearl of great value is, in order to know that he or she is indeed in the presence of something worthy of giving everything else in order to possess.

Our society does not value a vocation to priesthood or religious life, at least as Christ and the Church define it. True, the media seems to enjoy running stories of priestly scandal, mock ceremonies, and dissenting voices. When it comes to someone embracing the vocation as it is, they simply do not know what to do, and often reduce the priest or religious to a social worker, a psychologist, or something less. But those who see the true value are willing to give it all up for this one vocation!

A new Bishop for New Ulm!!!

After a 14 month wait, Rome has responded and given us a Bishop: Bishop-elect John LeVoir from the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis. The post in Italian can be found at the Vatican News Service, though it can be found at Whispers in the Loggia. The Diocese of New Ulm is already awake with the news: Statement by Bishop-elect by Monsignor Grams Statement by Bishop-elect
While I do not know Bishop-elect LeVoir personally, his reputation for being a wise pastor and a holy man is well-established. He is a published author on the thought of Pope John Paul II.

Welcome Bishop-elect LeVoir! Thank you for saying yes!

Here is the Official Press Release:

Pope names Minneapolis Native Reverend John M. LeVoir
as Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm
New Ulm, MN - Pope Benedict XVI has named Rev. John M. LeVoir, 62, as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, MN. The announcement was made in Washington, July 14, by Msgr. Martin Krebs, charge d'affaires of the Apostolic nunciature to the Holy See. Bishop-designate LeVoir succeeds Archbishop John C. Nienstedt, third bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, who was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on April 24, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop Nienstedt remained Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of New Ulm until December 13, 2007 and on May 2, 2008 succeeded Archbishop Harry J. Flynn as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Msgr. Douglas L. Grams has served as Diocesan Administrator since December. John M. LeVoir was born February 7, 1946 to Marvin A. and Mary A. LeVoir in Minneapolis, MN. He has two brothers and one sister. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1968 from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul; a Bachelor of Science in Business degree in accounting in 1971 from the University of Minnesota, becoming a certified public accountant in 1973; a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1974 from the University of Minnesota; and a Master of Arts degree in theology in 1981 from the St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, MN. Prior to his ordination, he was employed from 1971-1976 as a public accountant for several firms and also as an instructor of accounting at the University of Minnesota. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on May 30, 1981 by Archbishop John R. Roach at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Following ordination, he served as Associate Pastor of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony from 1981-1992; Pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity in South St. Paul from 1992-2004 Pastor of the Church of St. Augustine in South St. Paul from 2000-2004. Since 2004, he has served as Pastor of the Church of St. Michael and the Church of St. Mary in Stillwater.

His publications include: Covenant of Love: Pope John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage and the Family; Faith for Today: Pope John Paul II’s Catechetical Teachings; and Image of God Religion Series - theological consultant and author. The Diocese of New Ulm is comprised of 15 counties in southern Minnesota, a total of 9,863 square miles. The total population is 285,338 with a Catholic population of 68,087.
On July 14, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop-designate John M. LeVoir as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota. A date for Bishop-designate John M. LeVoir’s episcopal ordination and installation has not been set.

You Cannot Be Serious

For some time, there has been a growing thought against the practice of the faith. Recently, Catholic World News reported of a British lawmaker's take on Catholic Education:

Barry Sheerman, the Labor party lawmaker who chairs a committee on schools, claimed that some Catholic bishops "appear to be taking a much firmer line," the Irish Independent reported. Sheerman said that parliament should question the bishops "to find out what is going on."

Sheerman's ire appeared to be directed at Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue of Lancaster, who has barred "safe-sex" instructions in parochial schools, and Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, who clashed with Sheerman over plans for an "inter-faith academy."

The Labor lawmaker argued that parliament should carefully monitor the expenditure of government funds, even at church-administered schools, the Irish Independent said. The newspaper quoted Sheerman as suggesting that religious education is healthy only if the schools do not take faith seriously:

It seems to me that faith education works all right as long as people are not that serious about their faith. But as soon as there is a more doctrinaire attitude questions have to be asked.

So, essential, according to Sheerman, we can teach (and by extension, I would assume, learn) whatever we want as long as we are not serious about any of it. This is so backward. True academia can only be found in holding to the true, timeless principles of life, and to take them seriously. There is no such thing as a mediocre saint - to be holy is to be wholly dedicated to God, and to be serious about holding and teaching the truths of the Church. To be a saint is to reject a life of lawlessness and submit to the life of love and truth as revealed in Christ and His Church!

The critic in me says: It seems to me that parliament style of government works all right as long as the lawmakers are making asinine statements and defending laws and policies that oppress, deceive, and prevent people from seeking the True Good.

Follow-up on the Golden Compass

We live in a world where a teacher is arrested and jailed for allowing her Moslem students name a teddy bear after an important leader of the faith. Yet, when we respectfully critique the work, and perhaps even warn against viewing or reading the works, of a man who expressly states his goal is to 'kill God in the minds of children', the Christian is painted as a nitwit and fool. If sounding a warning bell is wrong, we could find ourselves headed for a new age of martyrdom. Perhaps atheism is not as free from religious persecutions as Pulman would suggest. Faith in God and growing in a relationship with God is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. To deny that or to teach the little ones anything else is to deny our very nature. To proclaim that is not the stand of a 'nitwit', militant, or even 'fundamentalist' - it is the understanding of a person deeply in touch with God's will for us.

The Golden Compass and Christianity

The New York Magazine has a brief article about Phillip Pullman questioning if the promotion of his book, The Golden Compass would be easier if he Were Dead. While the answer is yes, it is an astounding reason he gives -

Much to the obvious delight of New Line's publicity department, The Atlantic's Hanna Rosin visited the novelist at his home near Oxford, England. Pullman — who's previously tried to market the film by telling reporters, "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief," and "My books are about killing God" — thinks the film studio's job would be easier if he were dead.

All things being equal, Pullman told me, New Line would prefer he were, well, the late author of The Golden Compass. Dead? “Yes! Absolutely!” If something happened to him, there “would be expressions of the most heartfelt regrets, yet privately they would be saying, ‘Thank God.’”

Hilariously, Pullman continues, wondering if by editing out the anti-Christian elements that made the original novel such a hoot, New Line isn't hurting the film's box-office chances instead of helping them:

“I think if everything that is made explicit in the book or everything that is implied clearly in the book or everything that can be understood by a close reading of the book were present in the film, they’d have the biggest hit they’ve ever had in their lives. If they allowed the religious meaning of the book to be fully explicit, it would be a huge hit. Suddenly, they’d have letters of appreciation from people who felt this but never dared say it. They would be the heroes of liberal thought, of freedom of thought … And it would be the greatest pity if that didn’t happen."

There seem to be some out there (so called Catholics even) who see nothing dangerous to the faith in these books. If, however, Pullman's goal is to tell that God is dead and is seeking to undermine Christian belief, then either he has failed, or those who proclaim his stories as moral sound have failed to read between the lines.

The God the Pullman tries to create in order to kill may be dead, but the God of the universe, the God that created Pullman and you and I is very much alive and active. Anything that discredits or denies that, even if it is grammatically perfect and with all the elements of plot and drama, fails to be 'Great Literature' because it fails to point to the true, the good, and the Beautiful.