Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

"Jesus, who was rich, become poor, so that through His poverty, we may become rich." This passage, the Alleluia verse this weekend, captures the divine exchange of God and man. What we have, the stuff around us, is nothing compared to the wealth that God gives us, and we are called to use those gifts prudently, and perhaps even squander them. We are all called to be detached from the stuff, the Mammon, of the world, and some do this radically by taking the vows, so that we can be filled with God's gifts.

Our Lady of Sorrows - Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Praying the Stabat Mater Dolorosa is especially appropriate today.

At the cross her station keeping
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing
now at lenght the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother highly blessed,
of the sole-begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying, glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
'whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

O sweet Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ, my Lord.

Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all our sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live.

By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;

Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;

While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He searches for us when we are lost. He is the loving father, watching for the return of the wandering, giving them back their dignity. But He also loves the sons who do not wander, even when their hearts are far from Him. Do we understand His love of us as our father, or do we only serve Him as a master.

Twenty-Third Sundy of Ordinary Time

Following Christ means taking up our cross. It is not something we should do lightly or half-heartedly, but something with full consideration. It will require us to leave behind family, at times, if they are not able to follow the Lord themselves. That is what it means to 'hate' them as we are instructed in the Gospel.

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Humility marks the life of a follower of Christ. It takes humility to admit we are sinners in need of a savior, in the first place. The Lord instructs His followers to not think to much of themselves, to promote themselves to higher honors. When others come, they will make the determination of where they belong. Humility is needed to enter fully into the liturgy, too. We hear the call of the Lord to come to worship Him, and we submit ourselves to Him.

Growth in humility will help in discerning a vocation - we will more honestly see where we stand before God, with all our talents and sins, knowing we are loved and forgiven, the more we will be able to know His will.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary TIme

The Lord's disciplines those He loves, and He also loves us enough to let us make our choice. In the readings this weekend, we hear of those left outside, begging entry into the house, but the Lord casts them away because he does not know them. How scary those words must be! Those left outside protest - "We ate with you, and listened as you taught in our streets." Note that while Jesus, as we heard just a few weeks ago, tells us that all we have to do is knock, but this is about entering the joy of the house. We must allow the Lord to discipline us, to give us direction. It's not enough for us to hear Him, we must know Him, and in knowing Him, he will know us. This takes prayer, obedience, and love.

Assumption 2010

The Blessed Mother is assumed into Heaven, body and soul. It is only fitting, as the most perfect vessel for the Incarnation of Christ, having been prepared from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception. It is not of her own accord, but rather because she said yes to the Lord.



(Icon of the Dormition - the Eastern Churches' term for the Assumption - calling to mind her 'sleeping' and being taken into Heaven. Note that Christ her Son is at her side, along with the Apostles.)

Sometimes, one considering a vocation, forgets that God not only loves those who follow Him, but He takes care of them. He shows His love of the Blessed Mother by honoring her thus, and he will take care of us, too.

New Vocations Prayer Calendar

I have posted the new prayer calendar for September through February. Download it by Right clicking on the previous sentance.

Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith makes present, even if intangible, what is distant. It is faith that enables the good steward continue to serve his Master, though he might be distant, and the lack of faith that causes the bad servant to fall into gluttony and abuse. We, who strive to be servants of the Lord, need these faith.

Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

A life focused on possessions leads to a life lived apart from God. The barely veiled greed of a brother feeling slighted is the opportunity for the Lord to teach His followers to avoid greed. He shares a parable of a man so out of reality that he thinks that his bountiful harvest is all his work - with no reference to God, his workers, builders, or servants. God calls him to task.

Many people reject priesthood or religious life because of fear of the loss of possessions. Yet, as we hear this weekend, we must realize that it is God who has given all to us, and we leave it to others when we go... so we focus on what is eternal and truly important: That which is of God!

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have a loving Father who listens to our prayers. When we pray, do we pray with hearts ready to receive what is truly needed? Do we have the persistence to keep knocking, seeking, asking? THe Lord hears every prayer, even if it seems otherwise. There are prayers that He always answers: Help me to know You, to serve you, to forgive, and to be forgiven, etc. So we keep asking Him to help us to know our vocations, to live them out, and to love more completely.

Why a priest should wear his Roman Collar

Why a priest should wear his Roman Collar? Msgr. Mangan and Fr. Murray provide a wonderful explanation of the reasons for, as well as a response against those with contrary reasons.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The demands of hospitality require us not only the look after the physical needs of the guests, but also to spend time with them. Martha forgets that, and accuses Mary of not caring, while Mary has remembered to take time to spend with the Lord, their guest.

OUr lives can be filled with much anxiety, and we can be like Martha and tell the Lord what we are doing, but His invitation remains - we are to spend time with Him!

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus, the true Good Samaritan who comes to our aid as God-made-man, shows us what it means to love our neighbor. In this famous parable, He uses the persona of a Samaritan, a person that the Jews would have at best looked down upon, as an example of virtue in the treatment of a man caught and left for dead be robbers. The Samaritan treats and binds that wounds, places the man on his own beast, and takes him to the safety of the inn, promising to repay whatever amount is needed over and above what he had given. His heart was moved with compassion on seeing the man, and he chose to act.

Christ has saved us, and binding our wounds, has brought us to safety. Are we willing to follow His example, and help others who have falling to the robber?

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary time

The harvest is ready, laborers are few. We are to beg the Master of the Harvest for laborers. Without them, the harvest will be lost. But it is not just the laborers in the field charged with a duty. Perhaps we should look at the harvest like of old: when all had their proper role! There were drivers, harvesters, etc, but just as important were those providing rest, food, and drink. Everyone had their role, and when all fulfilled it, the harvest was brought in quickly and safely.

The Harvest is ready - and we are being called ourselves to help, each in our own way. May we pray for many more to help with the harvest, know our role, and work as we ought.

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