Homily Christ the King 22 November 2009

One day a few years ago,
a 17 year old boy in a deep coma was admitted to the hospital.
With one look, the neurosurgeon on duty announced:
“He won’t live until morning –
and it’s a good thing, because he’d be a vegetable.
Thankfully, a seasoned nurse named Nancy judged otherwise.
She did what she had done for patients in similar conditions for 30 years”
she talked to the boy, played his favorite music, made simple requests of him.

The boy did live through until the morning.
Before long, he was able to make small movements.
Strangely, he would not respond at all when that doctor was in the room.
Eventually, he recovered to the point that he was discharged and went home.

Some time later, he returned to the hospital floor to offer thanks to nurse Nancy.
When she mentioned the neurosurgeon, the young man replied,
“Yes, I remember him calling me a vegetable. I wouldn’t move for him.”

It was a love that made him move.
It was the encounter with a loving person that opened the door to new life.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The preface of today’s Mass calls to our minds the hallmarks of Christ's Kingdom:
It is an eternal and universal kingdom…
a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love, and peace.
Christ the King is not a politician or a secular governor.
His kingdom is not like Pilate’s or Caesar’s…it is not about earthly power…
it is not of this world.

First of all, Christ's kingdom is a kingdom of love
and He exemplifies His kingship in His Paschal Mystery.
He empties Himself of self-concern…divests Himself of earthly riches…
strips himself of glory…
in order to open His arms in love on the Cross.
When His passion is complete…
as the Psalmist declares…He is robed in majesty, girt about with glory…
and…as the Prophet Daniel foretells…
is presented with an everlasting dominion.

His power is revealed in weakness…
not in armies and thrones and splendid palaces…
but in a rugged wooden Cross, a crown of thorns, and a robe of blood.
His power is revealed not in defiance but in obedience to the Father.

It was love that moved Him…
moved Him to stand strong before Pilate…
moved him to walk the lonely road to Calvary.
moved Him to lay down His life on the Altar of the Cross,
in the one perfect sacrifice that brought life to the world.

Self-emptying…humility…obedience…this is true love…
and it is on the foundation of love that Christ establishes His kingdom.
In Christ, human paradoxes are re-defined.
Obedience brings freedom. Humility ends in glory. Death gives life.
Christ's kingdom of love is victorious!

The Book of Revelation recalls for us that Christ has made us into a kingdom.
The kingdom of Christ exists perfectly only in Heaven…
but each of us…by our Baptism…has been drawn into the kingdom
and invited to share even now in the mission of Christ…a mission of love.

It is love that moves us to accept that invitation to share the mission of Christ.

Love moved Christ to surrender Himself, and His love transforms death to life.
Christ’s love in us moves us, His servants, to surrender ourselves in His image.

The kingdom in which we share with Christ is also a kingdom of truth.
“For this I was born and for this I came into the world,” Jesus declares to Pilate,
“to testify to the truth.”
In Christ's kingdom, truth and love are inseparable.

God loved us so much that He sent His Son to reveal the truth to us…
the truth of God…the truth about ourselves…and of God’s plan for us.
Jesus’ love extends far beyond His earthly ministry.
He sent the Holy Spirit to the Apostles at Pentecost as the Paraclete, the Advocate,
who would lead the Church into all truth.
The Spirit continues to reveal truth to us through the teaching of the Church,
as a living sign of God’s constant loving presence.
We trust in Christ and in His Church, for she reveals the truth anew in every age.
When Jesus stands before Pilate, He appears as the faithful witness to the truth,
not giving up, not backing down,
but testifying to the truth even when it means the Cross.

Christ's love in us moves us to witness to the truth in every time and place.
For this we were born…baptized…
and sent into the world according to our unique vocations.

God did not give Moses “The Ten Suggestions”
and Jesus did not teach His disciples “The Great Possibility.”
Commandments are a hard sell these days,
but the profit in Heaven is well worth the effort here and now.

In the midst of a culture that has largely embraced indifferentism,
and that is afraid of absolutes,
we are invited to be faithful witnesses to the truths of God,
the truth that does not bind but instead that sets us free.

Sometimes this will mean the Cross for us…
sometimes it is uncomfortable, unpopular, demanding.
And yet, being afraid to speak out against injustice and false teaching,
or allowing lies to remain unanswered is not true love.

As Saint Paul writes, “Love rejoices in the truth!”
Therefore we rejoice in the truth, for we are called by God to be people of love.


What a shame that love did not move Pilate!
Political expediency and the fear of Caesar’s wrath held him back
and he turned away from Jesus…from His love and truth.

That is not so with us.
Love has moved us…
moved us to enter into a relationship with Jesus
moved us to prayer, to worship, to witness
moved us to journey here to this Altar…
where we encounter the loving person of Jesus Christ.

That 17 year old boy was moved by love…both physically and spiritually.
He who was thought to be dead…at best expected to be a “vegetable”…
was restored to life through an encounter with one patient loving person.

Jesus, who was thought to be dead, is once again alive and He is with us here.
We encounter the loving person of Jesus.
We are grateful for the love of Jesus…love that moves us
to accept the invitation to share in the mission of His kingdom of love
and to witness to the truth that makes all people free.

The love of one person can do remarkable things…can work miracles.

The love of all of us…united in Jesus Christ…and founded on the truth of God…
is the dominion of the Church that conquers all obstacles,
transforms lives, saves souls, and endures forever!

Homily Thirty Third Sunday of the Year 15 November 2009

The Roland Emmerich film 2012, which opened Friday,
is the latest outrageous portrayal of an imaginary end to the world
precipitated by catastrophic natural events.

For centuries, the end times have fascinated mankind.
From Nostradamus to the ubiquitous big-city prophet
with his trademark cardboard sign proclaiming “Repent, the end is near,”
there are no end to the predictions of when everything we know
will come to a sudden dramatic and horrific demise.
The dates keep getting moved back as new predictions are made,
each one as certain as the last.

The Scriptures themselves contain similar predictions to the doom-sayers,
and the Bible is indeed the source of many speculations.
The one important difference is that,
while the Scriptures predict signs and wonders, Jesus remains clear:
“You will not know the day nor the hour when they will occur!”

Some Christians who insist on a literal interpretation of the Bible
expect the end of the world to happen just as the Bible describes
but gloss over these words of Jesus as if He never said them at all.

Much of the world speculates and predicts,
while the Church of Jesus Christ performs the more significant task
of preparing vigilant disciples who are always ready to receive Christ.
Jesus offers descriptions of the end times, in order to challenge us to be vigilant,
to keep watch for His coming.
He calls us to be prepared every day,
so that His coming will not catch us by surprise.

When we watch TV, listen to music, engage in conversation, spend money,
would we be proud or ashamed of our actions if Jesus appeared next to us.
If He came in his glory today, right now, would He be pleased by our words,
our actions, the thoughts of our hearts.

We do not know when the world will end, or even when our own life will end,
but we do know that if we are vigilant and steadfast in faith,
we need not fear death nor the coming of Christ.

As we keep watch with Christ in this life,
we are comforted by Jesus’ assurance: “My words will not pass away!”

If the stock market crashed…if the dollar plummeted in value…
if our favorite store went out of business…
if our cell phone lost service and we couldn’t text our friends…
if people we loved betrayed us…
even if everything we have ever known and depended on was taken away
the Word of God will not ever pass away!

That is something no filmmaking artistry can portray…
yet we ourselves have known the presence of God deep in our hearts
and in the sacramental life of the Church.
We have all had experiences when we have been certain
that God was alive and present to us, and when His love changed us.

God’s words…revealed in Scripture and the teaching of the Church…
are the eternal truths which form the foundation of our human existence.

We continually seek to know and absorb those truths, which do not pass away,
to know and live the teaching of Christ,
which gives us strength and direction.

God’s Word does not pass away! The Church is always teaching!
His love is forever!
He is always speaking His Word in the depths of our hearts,
and forming us into pure servants of Christ,
ready to stand aright and by counted among the blessed ones
when He comes at last in glory!

Homily Memorial Mass 9 November 2009

Twenty years ago…November 9th, 1989 was a Thursday.
In Berlin, Germany, it was the happiest day in 50 years.

It had been a little over two years since a former Hollywood actor-turned-President
stood confidently in the center of the city
and defied the Soviet Empire with his now-famous demand:
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

It had been 6 years since the United States
established formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
President Reagan and another former actor, who became the first Polish Pope,
met for the first time in the Summer of 1982,
inaugurating both a diplomatic relationship and a deep friendship.

Providence brought together two men who shared not only a history in acting
but the ominous connection of assassination attempts
on both of their lives in the same Spring of 1981…
men whose combined faith, convictions and leadership
destroyed the evil empire of Soviet Communism
and made freedom a reality once again in Eastern Europe.

It had been 50 years since Adolf assumed power as chancellor of Germany.
From the Third Reich, through World War II,
into the Cold War and the Soviet Blockade,
for half a century totalitarianism enveloped Berlin in a tomb of misery.
But 20 years ago…November 9th, 1989…a new day dawned for Berlin…
for Germany…for Europe…indeed for the world!

Following widespread protests demanding freedom,
the Soviet leadership relaxed restrictions on travel.
Soon civilians’ hammers and chisels complimented bulldozers
in bringing down the cement and barbed-wire wall
that severed the city since 1961.

The first in the wall…the first hole chiseled…the first slab removed…
was a sign of freedom…a glimmer of hope like no other.

The first rays of freedom’s light to shine through that wall
fell on men and women who had never known anything but darkness.

Today our common humanity unites us all to the German people
as we recall the anniversary of that day when freedom came to Berlin.

As Christians, we mark another anniversary today as well…
that of the dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome
by the Emperor Constantine.

As we honor the dedication of this great church…
the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the mother church of Christendom…
we recall how the faith of the Church is built on the rock of St. Peter,
the bishop of Rome,
and how, from Rome, it extends to all the world.
Our church buildings carry tremendous significance, for their foundation rests not only on stone
but on the faith, history, and sometimes literally the sweat and labor,
of those who have gone before us.

We also recall that we who gather in faith as Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church,
are living stones…
built on the foundation of the Apostles and Saints
standing on the shoulders of our ancestors
with Jesus Christ himself as the capstone
and rising together into a spiritual edifice dedicated to the glory of God.

Our prayer tonight is for some of those living stones…
those men and women who are our ancestors in faith…and in our families…
who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith
and who have helped us build up our faith and form our lives.

We call our loved ones who have died to mind with gratitude to almighty God
for the countless blessings He has bestowed on us through them
and for the gift they have been to us in so many ways.

We beg Him for strength to bear the sadness and emptiness of
that still weigh heavily on many of us gathered here.

Finally, in this Memorial Mass, in this month of November,
when we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day,
we perform a tremendous act of love in praying for our beloved .
We beg God to have mercy on them for their weakness
and to gather them into the eternal bliss of His Kingdom…
a holy place free of darkness and brokenness…
a kingdom of light, love and peace.

Our loved ones have died…but in Christ is not the end.
On the altar of the Cross, Christ won the victory over sin and …
and in His Resurrection restored new and abundant life to His faithful servants.

Death brings darkness…but Christ’s Cross brings hope!

In the years between WWII and the fall of the Berlin Wall,
before the East Germans even rebuilt their churches,
they constructed a necessary television tower in the city.
At the top of the tower was a silver dish.
Despite numerous efforts by the Soviets to cover that dish
with various chemicals and paints,
every time the sun shone upon its reflective surface,
the light brilliantly displayed the shape of a cross!
The Cross is a sign of hope – and it could not be blotted out!

Death brings sadness…
but the sadness of gives way to the bright promise of immortality…
and the empty tomb remains the sign of that new life!
Just as the first in the Berlin Wall were glimmers of radiant hope…
so the first inches of the open grave…as the stone rolled back…
obliterated the blackness of Good Friday night.
Christ is alive…and in Him we have life!

As we celebrated funeral Masses for your loved ones…
and as we celebrate this Memorial Mass tonight…
we again experience the radiant light of Christ.

Through this Mass we peer into Heaven
and are caught up in the eternal liturgy of the angels and saints.
The radiant light of Christ shines through this sacramental liturgy
falling upon each one of us,
who have known recently and poignantly the darkness of .
to bring us the freedom and hope that know no end.
We gather under the standard of the Cross…
We need not be troubled or afraid…
for Christ is alive and present in the Holy Eucharist…
and He draws us in tenderness to His loving Sacred Heart.
Our fervent prayer, eager petition and heartfelt thanksgiving in this Mass
are offered not with anxiety…but in confidence
for Christ has promised to fill us with His peace…
the peace that surpasses all understanding.

On the foundation of our faith and the wisdom of those we have loved and lost,
we go forward strengthened by Christ’s peace
to build up His Body the Church.
We join ourselves to over a billion living stones
and form together an edifice of spirit to the glory of God,
who has loved us and whose love sets us free!

Mary’s Rosary: A Lesson in Faith and Prayer

Devotion to the Mother of God is a vital and beautiful aspect of our Catholic life. In October 2002, the twenty-fifth year of his pontificate, Pope John Paul the Great wrote Rosarium Virginis Mariae, an Apostolic Letter on the Rosary of the Virgin Mary. In this month of May, a month traditionally dedicated to Mary, we turn to our Blessed Mother in a unique way. The words of Pope John Paul II help to inspire and focus our devotion to Mary.
The Pope’s letter begins by pointing out that the Rosary is a prayer focused on Christ, which draws together the rich depth of the Gospel message. Those who pray the Rosary truly sit “at the school of Mary,” learning from her maternal example and complete acceptance of God’s will; and being led by her to contemplate the face of Christ. Mary contemplated the face of Christ – in His infancy, His ministry, and His Passion and Resurrection – in a more faithful and devout way than anyone in human history. She remained devoted to Jesus, both as a mother devoted to her son and as a disciple to her God, throughout her entire life. From her love and devotion to Christ we learn the incomparable for our own journey of faith.
The Rosary offers to us both a “compendium” of Gospel lessons and stories, as well as an exercise in contemplation. As we pray, we walk with Mary through her life with Jesus, and, together with her, we draw closer to God. The Mysteries of the Rosary present to us stories of the lives of Jesus and Mary. As we recite each mystery and read the accompanying Scripture verse, we have an opportunity to ponder the grace of Jesus at work in that particular event. The more deeply we ponder the mysteries of our faith, the more our relationship with Jesus grows.
The prayers of the Rosary also come from the Scriptures. The “Our Father” is the perfect prayer that the Lord Himself taught the Disciples. The “Hail Mary” is a combination of the words spoken to Mary by the angel Gabriel and Elizabeth. The repetition of prayers that is characteristic of the Rosary allows us, through the rhythm of words, to enter more deeply into contemplation of the mysteries of faith. Repetition calms the soul and helps us to be quiet in God’s presence.
The Rosary is a tried and true prayer for families. The “Family Rosary” gives each parent and child in the family an opportunity to lead a decade, and to offer their own personal intentions. It gives children a lesson in prayer and draws families closer together in the grace of the Lord. Family Rosaries are not always perfectly pious experiences but such devotion is essential for a healthy family. Writer Mary Ellen Barrett describes her family’s experience of the Rosary as “…more athletic than contemplative.” Here’s one example she presents: "Hail Mary, full of grace (sit down) the Lord is with (stop swinging the beads) thee. Blessed art thou (ssshh) among women (please leave your sister alone) and blessed is the fruit (get the baby off the table) of thy womb Jesus.” In the midst of the very human and at times even chaotic side of family prayer, God’s grace is at work. Pray always with Mary, and she will lead you ever closer to Christ her Son!

Display on the Priesthood...

Cor ad Cor Loquitur
Heart Speaks to Heart

Celebrating the Priestly Heart of Christ
and the Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood

An educational and inspiring display
highlighting various aspects
of the Catholic Priesthood!

This display is a response to Pope Benedict XVI’s announcement
of the Year for Priests, which includes a call to the whole Church
to better understand the gift and mystery of the Priesthood.

It includes 7 - 2’ x 5’ vinyl panels and accompanying stands,
together with matching handouts,
each of which focuses on a different aspect of the priesthood:
The Year for Priests
Saint John Vianney
Priest Saints
Priestly Identity
Priestly Mission
Priestly Vocations
Mary, Mother of Priests

The display can be set up in any parish gathering apace
or educational room.
The parish needs to provide 2 - 8’ tables
on which the stands/panels are placed.
The parish is responsible for receiving the display via mail, making copies of the handouts,
all assembly and tear-down, and the return postage.

To order this great display for your parish, share in the Year for Priests by teaching your parishioners about the Priesthood, and help to inspire vocations,
call Deacon Mark Fuller @ (330) 936-6108

Reflections on the Priesthood

Saint John Vianney: Patron Saint of Priests

Saint John Marie Vianney was ordained a priest in 1815. Three years later he was made pastor of Ars, a remote French village, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. As a parish priest, his ministry was extraordinary in many ways.

His life was one of extreme mortification. Accustomed to the most severe austerities, approached by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested a constant loving patience. He sacrificed the comforts of this world, eating simple means and wearing a tattered cassock, in order to spend his energy and resources on providing the very best for the Lord and the celebration of the Liturgy. He was a wonderworker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ.

Saint John Vianney was a true priest and man of the Church. He heard confessions of people from all over the world for up to sixteen hours each day, preached the faith with zeal, loved his parishioners, and celebrated the Mass with sincere devotion. His life was filled with works of charity. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word.

He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925.

The life and ministry of Saint John Vianney recalls for us the core of the priesthood: a life of constant prayer; a simple life devoted to Christ; a life in tune with the heart of Christ and the mind of the Church; a life devoted to the celebration of the Sacraments and preaching of the Word.

The Year of the Priest commemorates the 150th anniversary of the of Saint John Vianney, patron saint of priests. Through his powerful intercession, we pray for the holiness of all priests and for an increase in men zealously devoted to the fullness of the priesthood.

Priest Saints

Consider all the saints who have shared in the priesthood, all these priests who have exemplified sanctity in their lives and ministry, and the many more priest saints not celebrated liturgically. Remember that these holy men, whose hands held the Lord in the Holy Eucharist and served God's people, whose voices preached the truth of our faith, now intercede for us before the throne of God.

Recall that our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has established the Year of the Priest as a time to encourage all priests to be saints! Pray for priests, that they may truly strive to be united to the heart of Christ. Pray for vocations to the priesthood, so that the world will always know the love of the Heart of Jesus and His divine presence in the Eucharist. Pray throughout the year for the Church and her priests, through the intercession of our beloved priest saints.

The Identity of the Priest

Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord, is the Son of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In Him the fullness of the old law and the prophets is manifest and God’s saving action throughout history finds its fulfillment.

Jesus is priest, prophet and king. As universal King, He inaugurates an eternal and universal kingdom: “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.” (Preface of Christ the King) As Prophet, He proclaims the good news, as He announced at the beginning of His public ministry: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Luke 4:18)

As High Priest, Jesus fulfills and surpasses the ancient sacrifices by offering the one, new and perfect sacrifice of Himself on the Altar of the Cross for the salvation of the whole human race. On the Cross, Jesus is both the Priest who offers sacrifice and the Victim who is offered. From the pierced side of Jesus as He died on the Cross flowed the saving tide of and water, the fountain of sacramental life in the Church. The water symbolizes Baptism, the gateway to the Church and the Sacraments. The prefigures the Eucharist, the divine nourishment that unites us to Christ and the whole Church.

The Sacrifice of the Cross prefigures and is re-presented in every Mass, as Christ is made present each day on altars throughout the world and God’s faithful people are drawn into the reality of Christ's saving . The celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the essential sacred action for which every priest is ordained and consecrated. In the Mass the priest discovers his identity and mission. He is called to make Christ present to the world and to lay down his life for the Church as Jesus did on the Cross.

On the eve of His Passion, Jesus instituted the Sacred Priesthood as He also instituted the Eucharist. The two Sacraments are essentially united in the life of the Church for the salvation of souls. Without the priesthood there is no Eucharist and without the Eucharist there is no Church. During the Last Supper, Jesus gave the Apostles a share in His divine life in a unique way as priests, who are called to live and minister in persona Christi capitis - “in the person of Christ the Head of the Body,” the Church. Jesus had prepared the Apostles for years by His teaching and institution of the Sacraments. At Pentecost, the Apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit to inspire them to follow Jesus’ great commission to make disciples of all nations.

Jesus formed the Church throughout His earthly life when He called the disciples together, taught them, instituted each of the Sacraments, and formed them as a community of faith. Through Baptism, all the faithful share in the one priesthood of Christ and are called to live our their own unique vocations as followers of Jesus. From within the community of the faithful, God chooses men for the ministerial priesthood. They are ordained (chosen) and consecrated (set apart) for sacred ministry.

The ministerial priest finds his identity in Christ. He is configured to Christ the Head and sent forth to bring Him to others in Word, Sacrament and in his manner of life. The priest’s whole life and work is meant to be an ever-deepening relationship with Christ, a relationship that is experienced in the mind and heart of the Church, a relationship with the Lord that bears rich fruit for the salvation of souls.

The Mission of the Priest

The mission of the priest and the many duties that make up priestly ministry manifest the fundamental relationship the priest cultivates with Christ. Priesthood is a constant revealing of the person of Christ in the midst of the world. It is therefore much more than performing functions of ministry, however valuable these are in themselves.

The Year of the Priest opened solemnly with veneration of the relic of Saint John Vianney, Vespers, and Eucharistic Adoration on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. During the veneration, a reflection on priesthood was offered by Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, focusing on the loving heart of the priest and the loving heart of the holy Cure of Ars, who taught that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”

In his reflection, Archbishop Piacenza said, “The priesthood is not something we do. We are priests…we are about a holy business that is always an outgrowth of our being…” The preaching of the Word, teaching, spiritual direction, even administrative duties, and especially the celebration of the Mass and other sacraments, are not mere functions. A priest is not just a priest when he is visibly doing priestly things. He is always a priest and his ministry flows from the reality of the priesthood and his relationship with Christ.

This is exemplified in the way we understand the priest during the celebration of Mass. The priest is often described as “presider,” a word that makes it seem as if he is performing one function among many. Instead, the priest is the one through whom Christ is made present in the Eucharist and the one without whom the Mass would not exist. While all the liturgical roles are valuable, the “priest celebrant” or “principal celebrant” (as the official liturgical texts read) is indispensible. His sacred duties flow from his very being as one conformed to Christ, the Head of His Body, the Church. In the priest, Christ Himself is present and through the priest’s words and ritual action, makes Himself substantially presenting the Holy Eucharist.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28)

While these words of Jesus before His Ascension truly apply to the whole Church in certain ways, they contain a uniquely priestly commission: preaching the Word and celebrating the Sacraments are the unique and essential priestly tasks. In Word and in Sacrament, indeed in his whole life of loving service and witness to the truth and love of Christ, the priest brings Christ into the lives of men and women.

The mission of the priest could be summed up in a few words of Bishop Donald W. Trautman to seminarians being installed in the Ministry of Lector in 2004: “Bring Christ to others!” This ultimately means that the priest must constantly strive to become more like Christ through his prayer, spiritual discipline, and constant offering of himself in union with his offering of the Mass, so that the presence of Christ may be seen in his ministry.

As their spiritual perfection increases, priests become more configured to Christ, in whose person they stand as they exercise priestly ministry. Then “the love of the Heart of Jesus” is able to enliven them and radiate throughout their ministry. The whole Church ought to pray and support her priests, imploring God to aid them by his grace in their journey toward moral and spiritual perfection. The Church needs good priests; even more she needs holy priests! She needs priests who are strive daily to be united to Christ and who, with passionate love, make His presence known in the world.

Priestly Vocations

Priesthood is a vocation—a call from God to a specific way of life that involves total giving of oneself to God and for the sake of the Church. Every Catholic young man, as he matures and discerns his path in life, ought to consider whether God might be calling him to priesthood. He ought to ask God in prayer if his life is meant for the high calling of the priesthood.

Priestly life demands a commitment to chaste celibacy, respect and obedience to the bishop, and faithful praying of the Liturgy of the Hours—the Church’s daily prayer revolving around the Psalms and prayed and various times of the day. Priests are called to exemplify simplicity of life, remain devoted to constant prayer, and spend their lives in service to the Church.

Preparation for priesthood typically takes 6-9 years, and varies if one joins a religious order (e.g. Jesuits, Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, etc.), where formation for religious life is more extensive. If a man enters seminary after high school, the process for the diocesan priesthood includes 4 years of College Seminary, where a whole range of courses is studied (with a particular emphasis on philosophy) and 4 years of graduate Theology studies. If a man enters seminary with a college degree, he would experience a year or two of “pre-theology,” during which he would study courses not included in a normal college curriculum. There is often also a “pastoral year” - a year of internship when a seminarian observes parish life while living in a parish.

Priestly formation is founded on 4 pillars: spiritual, human, intellectual, and pastoral formation (remember: “SHIP”). This complete program is meant to form a man to be well-rounded, mature and prepared for ministry. A seminarian is expected to have devotion to God, Mary and the Saints, to lead a life of prayer, be devoted to the Church, have good personal skills, be well-versed in philosophy and theology, and be able to apply his knowledge to pastoral situations. Priesthood is a great honor and a significant calling, one for which a man must be formed well by his prayer, study and pastoral experience.

Mary, Mother of Priests

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Great High Priest, is indeed the Mother of all Priests. On Holy Thursday 1988 Pope John Paul II spoke to the world’s priests: “When we celebrate the Eucharist and stand each day on Golgotha, we need to have near us the one who through heroic faith carried to its zenith her union with her Son, precisely then on Golgotha.” Mary was with Jesus in His Passion, in the fulfillment of His salvific mission. So she is with the Church as the saving moment of Calvary is re-presented in every Mass and as Jesus’ saving mission is carried out by her priests. Every priest ought to keep her near throughout his whole life, trusting in her maternal care and powerful intercession.

The Priesthood Today

In the twenty-first century, the essence of the priesthood remains always the same, while the needs of the Church and the culture effecting priests are always changing. New demands are placed on the Church’s priests, which require them to remain even more rooted in Christ through prayer, study, priestly fraternity and authentic human relationships. The gems taken from the Word of God and the teaching of the Church, and provided herein for reflection, reveal a wealth of wisdom from centuries past that serves as a foundation for today’s priests and beyond. The future of priestly ministry is always a mystery. In every age and cultural situation, the faithfulness of Christ is revealed in the faithfulness of His priests, who bring to the world the saving love of Jesus for the glory of God and the sanctification of His people.

Living Bread Radio Reflections September 2009

Living Bread Radio
27 September 2009
26th Sunday of the Year

Today’s gospel is one of Jesus’ more shocking parables. If it were meant to be taken literally, there would be far more people walking around with arms and feet missing, for we all are repenting sinners with weak elements in our lives.
Instead, Jesus offers us this stark image of amputating our scandalous limbs as an invitation to greater introspection. As we reflect on our lives. We might ask: what part of my life is causing me to stumble in the spiritual life, what is leading me away from the Lord? Perhaps it’s an unhealthy relationship, a bad habit, an inappropriate TV show or music, an ideology or way of thinking – something we have held on to that is not truly good for us.
These habits and ways of perceiving the world can be ingrained from childhood, passed on from ancestors, absorbed from the culture. They become like parts of our body, deeply rooted and not easily perceived.
Therefore, it is important that we make an examination of our lives on a regular, even daily, basis, in order that we might come to recognize and understand where we need to grow. If there is anything that does not further the deepening of our relationship with Christ, we have an obligation to cut it out of our lives. Far better is this that to live separated from the Lord.
Jesus loves us and he wants all of us, every fiber of our being, to be purified in His love and united to Him.

Living Bread Radio
28 September 2009
Monday of the 26th Week of the Year

Several times in the gospels, Jesus uses the image of a child to illustrate his vision for discipleship. He asks us to be like little children and to embrace the virtues He sees in being child-like.
So, what is it about children that is so virtuous, so exemplary, so worthy of imitation? What do we see in the children around us that is so beautiful?
Children are so inquisitive. They always ask questions and their minds are like sponges soaking up every new piece of knowledge or experience. So, it is good for us to long to know Jesus better and to be saturated with love for Him.
Little children are and simple. Everything is new and amazing. Until they are exposed to the world around them and discover the tendency toward sin, their little minds and hearts are pure and loving. We are called to turn away from sin and to strive for a pure innocence that allows us to be in a sense wide-eyed and joyful at the things of God.
The greatest in the eyes of Jesus are those whose hearts are pure and who live not for themselves but for Him who has loved us and brought us life.

Living Bread Radio
29 September 2009
Archangels

Today the universal Church celebrates God’s powerful and faithful protectors, the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
Raphael, whose name means “Medicine of God,” is the archangel who traveled with and cared for Tobias on his journey, in the OT Book of Tobit. We each have a guardian angel who cares for us on our journey of life and faith. God’s love for us is manifested in the care shown to us by His messengers, the angels.
Gabriel, whose name means “Strength of God,” appears in famous scenes of important announcements in the Gospels. He announced to Zechariah the birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Blessed Mother – “Hail, full of Grace” – is part of the “Hail Mary.”
Michael, whose name means “Who is like God?” is the archangel who fought against Satan. He is the protector of humanity against the snares of the Devil. Evil is not simply an impersonal reality. The Devil and his temptations are real. Whenever we experience Satan’s attack, it is good to have recourse to St. Michael.
The Archangels are an incredible gift to us from God. They remind us of His constant love and protection, which comes to us in a very personal way through God’s chosen messengers.

Living Bread Radio
30 September 2009
St. Jerome

The Gospel stories from yesterday and today depict the beginning of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, a major turning point in His life and ministry. Jesus literally and figuratively “sets His face” toward Jerusalem, resolutely determining to go to that city, where He knows that ultimately His passion will take place. He determines to go and accomplish the mission for which He was sent.
At times the disciples to not understand His mission and their words betray their confusion. The Samaritans will not receive Him as He travels because His destiny is Jerusalem, and they have disagreements with the Jews. Others who desire to follow Him are torn between Him and the pleasures or needs of their earthly life.
All the while, Jesus remains steady as He journeys toward Jerusalem. His message remains consistent and He challenges others to lay themselves aside and come to Him. Jesus is the rock of truth and all who love Him find fulfillment.
Jesus warns us once we have set our hand to the plow, not to look back at what was left behind. It is often tempting to have doubts on our journey of faith, especially when we, like Jesus, encounter others who are confused, opposed to the Gospel, or hostile to what we believe. It is certainly not popular to be devoutly Christian. We also can be tempted by worldly pleasures that we have given up in order to follow Jesus.
Jesus’ example calls us to gather our resolve when we stumble and again and again set our faces toward Him.

Living Bread Radio
1 October 2009
Saint Therese

As Jesus sends out the seventy-two disciples in today’s gospel, He gives them unique instructions. He says: I am sending you out like lambs among wolves…do carry anything that will weigh you down, do not engage in idle conversation…wish peace on everyone. Jesus calls His disciples to simplicity of life. Acts of service to God and love of others are effective in their simplicity.
The Lord also asks us to divest ourselves of worldly attachments as we enter into His service. He is our shepherd. On Him we depend for our spiritual nourishment and bodily needs. Jesus, who loves us so dearly, will never fail to provide everything that is good for us, if we trust in His love.
Filled with God’s love and relying on His strength, we are able to accomplish the mission which belongs to every disciple – to bring Christ to others.
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Therese, whose life and spiritual writings exemplify her unique approach to discipleship. Her “little way” reminds us that we should not be disappointed if we cannot do grand works of faith. Instead she reminds us of the tremendous value in doing little things with great love.
The impact and value of daily acts of kindness, when we go out of our way to make another’s life easier or happier, is beyond what we realize. Only in heaven will we fully grasp how God’s love has strengthened us to simply love and do good, and how that simple love has changed lives forever.

Living Bread Radio
2 October 2009
Guardian Angels

The intimacy of God’s love for us and of our relationship with Him should not be taken for granted. He knows us completely. He has created us and given us life. He is the author of all life, both spiritual and human.
In His wisdom, God has appointed angels to watch over us and to be messengers of God’s loving presence. Angels are pure spirits, who always behold the presence of God. The Holy Scriptures are full of stories of angels being sent by God to assist, protect and care for His faithful people. Each of us has a guardian angel, charged with God’s message just for us. What a splendid gift from the Lord. We always have a spiritual friend in our guardian angel.
Today, as we celebrate the feast of the guardian angels, we recall the lovely little prayer that is dear to the heart of the Church.

Living Bread Radio
3 October 2009
Saturday of the 26th Week

By our baptism, we have been incorporated into the Church. Our identity as disciples includes the calling to bring the light of faith to the world. We are constantly praying and striving to grow in the spiritual life.
In our spiritual journey, there are times when we become discouraged. It is if great benefit for us to remember Jesus’ words in today’s gospel.
Jesus says: remember, your names are written in heaven. God sees the good we do, even the good we try in our weakness to do and do incompletely, and is pleased with our love and service.
He waits for us in the sacraments, desiring to pour His love into our hearts. He strengthens us in our prayer for the tasks that lie ahead. He sees and appreciates our love for Him and one another.
Then Jesus says: blessed are the eyes that see what you see. Many have longed to se what you see and have not seen it. Consider the splendor of the church – the beauty of her traditions, the richness of her history, the value of knowing the fullness of the truth through her teachings, and above all the joy of experiencing the Lord’s presence through the sacraments.
In our greatest joys and our darkest hours, the splendor of God’s love and truth is alive and powerful. For this we give Him thanks and praise!