First Mass of Thanksgiving!!

"God is awesome!!" That was one of the first things I said at my first Mass of Thanksgiving this past Saturday evening after being ordained a priest of Jesus Christ earlier in the day. It was an AWESOME weekend!! God is very good! Here are some pictures from the first Mass (no pics from the Ordination online yet). I will try to write about the Ordination experience asap. Please pray for the 12 of us newly-ordained priests!

1) Before Mass
2) Residents of Gift of Peace / Missionaries of Charity
3) My friend, Katie, becomes Catholic by making her profession of faith
4) Offertory with my nieces and nephews
5) Full Church!
6) Eucharistic Procession in front of the youth
7) God is awesome!!
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On the eve of Ordination

So, tomorrow, I get ordained a priest by the awesome Grace of God!! I'm sitting here at St. Francis, with the soundtrack from "The Mission" playing on my computer, trying to get all my last minute details taken care of...it's busy! We had a GREAT week of retreat that ended Thursday, and it's been crazy ever since. But, good crazy. So, I'll finish up soon, and then what?

What does a man do the night before he becomes alter Christus (another Christ) in the world? The phone which has been off the hook since yesterday is silent (phew!). My family has gone back to their homes after we got together for Adoration, discussion about what tomorrow will be all about ("it's all about Jesus" my little nieces and nephews shouted out!), and dinner. One conversation awaits. I need to go see Him shortly.

I will spend at least an hour with Christ tonight in the chapel. Might be more because I probably won't be able to sleep (last night, it didn't happen...too excited). I will be with Him to whom I will give my life fully tomorrow. Kind of makes me think about the night before He handed over his life to the Father and all of us. Tonight might be a sort of Gethsemane.

But, I will try to rest in his peace. He has drawn me to his heart, his Sacred Heart, through the Immaculate Heart of his mother. It's hard to put in words what my own heart is experiencing now, this closely united to Christ. I will be changed sacramentally and ontologically tomorrow, but he has been changing me so much over the past several years. I am not worthy to be a priest of Jesus Christ; it's only because he has formed me and shaped me to be like Him that I can go forward tomorrow.

Now, with all of the hoopla and details, I have caught myself forgetting one of the biggest moments of all after the laying on of hands (that's the point at the Ordination when I become a priest): the Consecration of the bread and wine at my first Mass. For 14 years, it's been a dream. The Dream. To make Christ present on Earth. Truly present. Through my hands. Through my words. But, they will be His hands... His words. His body...his blood. Tomorrow, the Incredible happens. All because of Him who is Incredible. Awesome. Amazing. It's all about Him. "It's all about Jesus".

Retreat for priesthood ordination

Along with the other 11 men from DC to be ordained priests this Saturday, I'm making a five day retreat this week with the other men, as required by Canon Law. Please pray for us!! I will try to make a post later this week when I return.

What happens at Confirmation?

Congratulations to the (+/-) 120 young men and women who were confirmed today at St Francis!! Bishop Holley celebrated this beautiful and glorious Sacrament during two Masses that were both standing room only. His Excellency gave a long sermon at each Mass, saying that, "I know I am preaching a long homily. But, I do this because I care about these young people. I have come here today to tell them that God loves them and so do I".

What happens at Confirmation? What is this sacrament all about? When did it start? It appears that the average Catholic doesn't know the answers to these, so it's good that we review the basics of this sacred act of God. During Confirmation, Bishop Holley anointed each candidate with (much) chrism oil on their forehead. He then said, "Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit". In Confirmation, then, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are confirmed, or "sealed", in each of us who receive this sacrament.

We first receive these gifts of the Holy Spirit- wisdom, knowledge, right judgement, courage, understanding, reverence, and fear of the Lord - at our Baptism. We receive God's life (Grace) at that moment; the Father, Son, and Spirit dwell within us at that moment under the sign of water. In Confirmation, these gifts are sealed within us under the sign of oil so that we will be courageous, wise, reverent, etc. Mainly, Confirmation sends us on our mission to bring God's love and life to others. It sends us on our way as Christians.

All the good that we do, then, is through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has guided the Church since the first Confirmation, Pentecost, in 33 AD. On that day, the Spirit came upon the Apostles as "tongues of fire", allowing the Apostles to speak to Jews from many different countries about Jesus. 3,000 Jews were converted that day, and the Church began. He is a POWERFUL Spirit!! He has been speaking and working through the Church - the Magisterium, Pope, Bishops, priests, and all the Christian faithful - as the Advocate of the Church. He teaches us about God, and helps us to interpret Jesus' Word through the centuries.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is the last of the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism and Eucharist are the other two). Now, these young men and women have been fully initiated into the Catholic Church. As Bishop Holley said, "you are not the future Church. You are the Church. The Church needs you". In the Catholic Church, we receive the FULLNESS of God's love, truth, mercy, peace, etc., mainly through the sacraments. The Spirit dwells fully in the Church, and now in each one of them. My prayer for these vibrant young parishioners is that they live out their faith, doing the Will of the Father through the Holy Spirit of Christ.

Mothers: Heroes for Christ

1. New shepherd!! As you've probably heard, we have a new Archbishop of Washington, Bishop Donald Wuerl from Pittsburgh. He will be installed as Archbishop in June; Cardinal McCarrick will still ordain the twelve of us as priests next Saturday (5/27), and will continue to live in Washington. Thank you, your Eminence, for your fatherly care, heroic service, and heartfelt love! Welcome, Bishop Wuerl!

2. DC 'Hood game: this Friday, May 19, 7 pm, Watkins Mill HS, versus St John Neumann parish. Come and root on us priests and seminarians!!
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This past Sunday, we honored all mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers for Mother's Day. As I said in my homily, all mothers who live out their vocation are heroes! They are heroes for Jesus Christ, for life, and for love. As Msgr. Ralph said in his comments at the end of Mass, we know we are loved by our mothers; this helps us to know we are loved by God.

Jesus says in Sunday's Gospel that he is the true vine, and we are the branches, and that only in him can we bear fruit. Apart from him we can do nothing! When we think about what it means to bear fruit, then, we know that it is only in Christ that we can do good in our lives. But, if it weren't for our mothers, we wouldn't be here at all! We wouldn't be on the vine of Christ. So, any fruit that we bear is in Christ through our mothers. We are the fruit of our mothers' wombs.

We look at the Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. The fruit of her womb is her Son, Jesus Christ. We say in the 'Hail Mary', "blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus". Mary shares in the fruit of Jesus' life which is Salvation, the greatest fruit the world has ever seen. We look at his Death and Resurrection, which is our Redemption; Mary shares in that. Our Redemption, then, is the fruit of her life, the fruit of her love. The Church gives Mary the title of "Co-Redeemer"; she shares in the fruit of her son's life.

My mother will share in whatever fruit I will bear in my life as a priest. Whatever good any of us does in our lives, it is through our mothers. It is fitting that they share in our fruit because of all the sacrifices they ahve made for us: at least nine months of physical sacrifices, and all that it takes to nurture, mold, and shape us to be the persons we are today. Our mothers are the primary formators on Earth of our personalities and characters.

We thank God for our mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers. If they are no longer with us, we pray for them and thank them for their heroic lives. We thank all mothers for their lives, and for giving us our lives. It is through them that we are on the vine of Christ, and bearing fruit in Him. Mothers bear the most and greatest fruit on His vine because all fruit is through them. They are true heroes for Christ, life, and love.

A teen's experience at Lourdes

Below is an inspiring and powerful post by Maggie, a teenager from Virginia who was on our trip to Lourdes. She wrote this as a comment to one of my posts, but it's so good that I wanted everyone to read it. Thanks, Maggie!!
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"Hey! I'm one of the teens from the trip and think its great that you've posted blogs about Lourdes. As you know, once you've been to Lourdes you just 'get it'. For me it was the international community of believers united to celebrate Catholicism. For someone like myself who had low expectations and fading faith, I left Lourdes grateful for being Catholic. As a cradle Catholic I felt like a was only a Catholic by default. Lourdes provided me with a very individualistic experience with Christ.

One of the most meaningful experiences for me was the Eucharistic procession where I carried one of the flags next to the exposed Host. I was literally "walking with Jesus" and felt His presence along with all the Catholics that followed from the Domain to the altar. Most importantly I felt completely secure discussing Catholicism with you and other pilgrims. Since I don't usually talk with my friends in depth about Jesus and the faith it was great to have your perspective and advice on the numerous questions I had about the faith. It made me feel more confident in its teachings.

The truth is Lourdes isn't about the water. It's a chance to put your life in perspective. When you walk together with the sick, the clergy, and the laity in prayer you develop a sense that no matter your struggles whether they are visible or not, Jesus bore all of them on his cross and calls for you to join him in eternal joy in heaven. Although God's plan for each of us is unclear and may be frightening at times we can be comforted knowing He loves us. What problems we face is undeterminable and our joys will be coupled with suffering.

However, we are comforted with the fact that if we submit to God's will and partake in his plan than we will reach eternal happiness with him. The only way we can approach the uncertainty of life is through prayer and as you eloquently said Deacon, 'to tell the people you care about that you love them at every opportunity because you never know what will happen'. It is this love of Jesus and one another that unites us and comforts us through life and all the struggles we may experience.

Whether God calls us to advocate his plan at a young age like Mary and Bernadette or later in life like the apostles, may we be open and accepting of his plan. As Bernadette innocently welcomed her journey that was accompanied by persecution and doubt, we are called to experience Jesus with this same childish innocence.

I encourage everyone to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes to demonstrate there willingness to partake in God's plan with a loving community of advocates of Christ."

One of the most powerful spots in the world

Update from Maria Stefko Turner, our good, young friend who is courageously battling cancer. She writes: "I had a reoccurence and just went through a stem cell transplant. I am continuing to recover and am very grateful for all your prayers. Please continue praying".--Maria
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Many of the daily and nightly activities in Lourdes come from what the Blessed Mother asked of Bernadette. She told her to build a chapel on the site of the well, and to go "in procession for the glory of God". So, every day we were there, there were numerous activities in the large and beautiful Basilica, and a nightly procession glorifying God in honor of our Lady.

It was really quite staggering to me how much goes on in Lourdes EVERY DAY. Every day, there are many Masses at the Grotto or in the other churches, off and on chanting all day and night, processions, praying of the rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, talks, washing at the baths, malades everywhere, Stations of the Cross...it was unbelievable how much Catholic stuff happens there every day in that town. At one point in one of the processions, I thought, "this is what Heaven will be like".

Just about every night, I walked from our hotel down to the Grotto (which is open pretty much all night). It is impressive how alive the place is with all these activities. I really enjoyed the place and the people we were there with. I would walk around the Grotto, taking in all the sights and sounds, and then find myself right in front of the spot. It caught me off guard and overwhelmed me.

What spot? The spot where Mary appeared to Bernadette. I thought, 'this is where the Mother of God appeared on Earth 148 years ago. Whoa!' It really was a powerful realization that stayed with me the whole trip. I tried to remember to pray for people back home while I was at the spot, and in the Grotto. As I wrote in my last post, at least one of the people I prayed for at the Grotto has already experienced a miracle. It's a powerful spot!!

Another time, I came back to the spot, and noticed something else going on at the Grotto. Now, the spot took on an even greater importance...it was the spot in front of Jesus appearing on the altar in the monstrance. I've been in the Presence of the Lord many times, but this was one of the most meaningful. Then I thought, 'there's such a huge deal made about Mary appearing here, and rightly so, but Jesus appears here every night, and where are all the people and hoopla for this?'

Miracles of Lourdes

I just returned from Lourdes, France, with a group of about 300 people from the Order of Malta. What an amazing week! We took about 40-50 malades (those with physical ailments or diseases) with us, and their care and well-being was the main focus of our large group. What occurred there is hard to describe, but I will at least relay some of our experiences in the next few posts.

The story of Lourdes began when the Blessed Mother appeared to a young French girl named Bernadette in 1858. Word spread through the small town that the young girl had seen visions of a "beautiful lady", and the excitement started to grow. The legitimacy of the apparitions started to take root when the girl gave messages to a priest from the lady that Bernadette could never have created on her own. One message from the lady was in Latin: "I am the Immaculate Conception". (The dogma of the Immaculate Conception had just been declared by Rome in 1854). In her limited education, Bernadette didn't know Latin and couldn't have known about the dogma.

Mary told St. Bernadette to "drink and wash in the (spring) water". Bernadette used her hands to dig through the dirt and mud to find the spring; she was laughed at by the townspeople who thought she was crazy. But, then, a blind man washed his face with the water and found his sight. A mother bathed her dying child in the water, and the child lived. Since 1858, there have been 67 documented miracles of Lourdes and countless undocumented miracles.

People from our group witnessed one of the latter miracles. A woman went to the baths of Lourdes having suffered through years of not being able to walk because of a stroke. When her legs first touched the water, she screamed, "Ahhh...my legs are burning!" The women near her tried to comfort her, but she pushed them away. "My legs are burning... and, this is really good!" For the first time in years, she could feel her legs!! She was able to walk out of and away from the pool, and discarded whatever device she had been using to get around.

To this point, we have not heard of any physical healing or miracle with anyone from our group (although a saintly woman with cancer said she felt cured after bathing every day at Lourdes). But, we did see spiritual healings and conversions. Several people in our group went to Confession for the first time in many years, prayed in Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist for maybe the first time ever, prayed regularly the Liturgy of the Hours with me and another semiarian for the first time, and showed an overall new spiritual and personal lease on life at the end of the week. A conversion of the heart shows God's power more than any external miracle!

Possibly the greatest miracle for me during the trip involved someone from St Francis who has been away from the Church and for whom I've been praying a long time. I prayed hard for this person's conversion the first 2-3 days at the Grotto, saying, "Mary, please...please". Two days later, a close friend of this person sent me an email titled, "Lourdes miracle in Maryland", which explained how a conversation about the Eucharist between the two of them that night led the person to express a strong desire to come back to Church. AMAZING!!

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

Why an all-male priesthood?

Lourdes pilgrimmage!! I'm off to Lourdes, France, for a week with a group from the Archdiocese. We are taking several malades (ill persons) to the Holy Water of Lourdes, with the hope of spiritual and/or physical healing. Should be great!! If I get a chance, I will make a post from Lourdes; otherwise, I'll resume posting in about a week or so.
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We have had a very fruitful discussion on this site about the all-male priesthood. Let me first of all make the point of which many people are unaware: we are all priests because of our Baptism. "(B)ut you are a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation..." (1 Pet 2:9). When we are baptized, we are all anointed Priest, Prophet, and King just as Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King. We all make up the "royal (or common) priesthood".

But "the members do not all have the same function" (Rom 12:4). St. Paul is making the point that we all make up the one Body of Christ, which is the Church, but we are all different members with different roles. If we use his analogy of the human body, we see that the hand and the foot are both parts of the body, but each performs different functions. They are equally important to the body, and the body wouldn't be complete without one of them.

So, when it comes to the Church, we see that Christ calls some members of His Body to serve the other members. We understand these members to make up the ministerial priesthood; the ministerial priesthood serves the royal priesthood. Christ's ministers serve the Church as Christ served the Church: teaching, sanctifying, and governing.

Why did our Lord establish an all-male ministerial priesthood? Why was it that after "he spent whole night in prayer" (Lk 6:13) to the Father, he came down from the mountain and chose twelve men? Why was it that he gave to these Twelve the special ministries of baptizing (Mt 28:19), celebrating the Eucharist (Lk 22;19-20), forgiving sins (Jn 20:20-23), celebrating Confirmation (Acts 8:14-17; 19:5-6), laying hands in Holy Orders (1 Tim 4:14), and anointing the sick (Mk 6:12-13; James 5:14-15)? (btw, the minister of Holy Matrimony is not the priest...it's each spouse)

Christ gave to these men a special ministry so that his ministry would continue. When they perform these sacred duties, it is really Christ performing them. In each of the sacraments, given the proper form and matter, the priest acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ). Proper form is saying the correct words- "This is my body", for example. Proper matter is using the correct material or substance; part of the proper matter required in each Sacrament except Holy Matrimony is a male body for the priest. Since Christ was a male, it is necessary for the priest to be male to act sacramentally in the person of Christ.

Could we use potato chips to celebrate the Eucharist? Would it really be the Body of Christ? No. We have to use the same matter and form that Christ used when he performed the sacraments- water in baptism, unleavened bread in the Eucharist, etc. So, we have to use the same matter when it comes to the minister: a masculine body as Christ himself had a masculine body. Just as transubstantiation occurs in the bread and wine, so too does it occur in the priest. It truly is Christ in the person of the priest.

A couple of final points. Along the lines of what one blogger wrote, just as God has entrusted the task of giving natural birth to women only, so He has entrusted the task of giving supernatural birth to some men only. We have different roles, but we are all equally important to the Body of Christ. Ministerial priests are no better than common priests and vice versa; they are just different roles. God has created males and females to have different roles in His Church but we share the same dignity, made in His image and likeness.

The DaVinci Code & Gospel of Judas

"There is much talk about Judas' betrayal without realizing that it is being repeated" today, said Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa who gives homilies to the Pope. "Christ is being sold again...to publishers and booksellers". Fr. Cantalamessa made these comments on Good Friday because millions of people are being "crassly manipulated by the media" which is more interested in profits and sales than in truth.

Firstly, "The DaVinci Code" is a novel by Dan Brown. It is FICTION. It is not true. It is not based on facts. One of its main themes is that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. How can God be married to ONE PERSON? If Jesus was married, then he couldn't love anyone else like he loved his wife. Then, he wouldn't be God. This is heresy! As Fr. Stephen Brett said, it's "much more than fiction: it's blasphemy, heresy, and crudity powerfully packed for maximum sales and maximum damage to the Catholic Church...thuggery masquerading as theology".

You can see a brief, more detailed critique of the DaVinci Code at www.cfalive.org (click on "leaflets" and scroll down). The author of that site, Fr. Thomas Morrow, writes: "If Brown got it wrong on the Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, the Gnostic Gospels, and the Constantine rewrite, his whole argument falls apart. The secret sacred feminine is just a late Gnostic idea that never caught on, because it had no basis in truth. And, of course, the marriage of Jesus is as absurd as it sounds".

Secondly, in light of the recent National Geographic display, "The Gospel of Judas", Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us of what kind of person Judas was and what he did to our Savior. On Holy Thursday, His Holiness said that for Judas, "only power and success are real; love does not count...And he is greedy: Money is more important than communion with Jesus, more important than God and His love. He also becomes a liar, a double-crosser who breaks with the truth".

"The Gospel of Judas" is a document from the 2nd or 3rd century that portrays Judas as Jesus' closest disciple. It presents Jesus as asking Judas to betray him, and allowing Jesus to fulfill his mission, thereby gaining Judas the greatest seat in heaven among the disciples. This is in stark contrast to the real Gospels, in which Jesus said: "alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!" (Mt 26:24).

Fr.Brett: "Those who have dismissed the need for the Catechism of the Catholic Church can now see what happens when alternative texts become the catechism of the suspicious".

Do you believe in the Resurrection?

Happy Easter!! Christ is Risen!! This is Easter week, technically called the Easter Octave. During these eight days, each day is a solemnity (the highest feast day), celebrating Easter each day as if it were Easter Sunday. The time for fasting is over! Now, we feast because the Lord is risen!

The most fundamental question for any Christian is, 'do you believe in the Resurrection?' It may seem like an easy question, and most of us would quickly answer with an obvious 'yes'. But, why do you believe in the Resurrection? What does it mean to believe in the Resurrection? Does Jesus' Resurrection from the dead change your life? Why or why not? In sum, does your life show that you believe in the Resurrection?

This is normally stuff that we Catholic Christians take for granted. But, having just put ourselves in the places of the Apostles and disciples during Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, we should have a renewed sense of the awesomeness of these events. First, we shared in the sorrow and anguish of seeing Christ suffer and die. For his disciples, Jesus' death must have been an amazingly crushing blow. He who showed so much power appeared so powerless. His situation which had brought so much hope seemed hopeless. His life ended. He died. He's gone.

But, then, three days later, He's risen! What utter and incomprehensible joy the disciples had! "I have seen the Lord", Mary Magdelene emphatically told the Apostles. They were beside themselves with happiness, hope, and joy! He who had truly experienced death is now back...truly risen from the dead! There is no limit to his power and majesty! And, so, they lived the rest of the lives in this happiness, hope, and joy. Their lives reflected all that Christ's Resurrection brings - hope in despair, happiness in sorrow, joy in sadness, peace in unrest.

Do I really believe that Jesus "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried... and on the third day he rose again"? The same flesh and blood that experienced death is now living. If this is true, everything changes. He can conquer anything. For me individually, he can conquer any situation in my life that seems hopeless. For us corporately, he IS who he said he is: the Son of God, our Savior, our Messiah. Everything he said and taught was true. He is the one to follow, and he is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life".

But, if he didn't rise from the dead, he is a liar and a blasphemer. "If Christ has not been raised, (our) faith is vain...we are the most pitiable people of all" (1 Cor 15:17,19)

The Seven Last Words of Christ

"There was never a preacher like the dying Christ. There was never a congregation like that which gathered about the pulpit of the Cross. There was never a sermon like the Seven Last Words."
- Arch. Fulton Sheen, The Seven Last Words (the following is taken from Sheen's book)

Please leave any comments or questions.

The Seven Last Words of Christ
1. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"

His executioners expected Him to cry and curse like all those who had been crucified before Him. Instead, He cried out for the Father to forgive those who were executing and mocking Him (soldiers, Pilate, Herod, etc.).

Do I forgive 'those who trespass against' me?

2. "This day you shall be with me in Paradise"

"No one before (the thief on the right of Christ) was ever the object of such a promise, not even Moses, nor John, not even Magdelen nor Mary!"

Like the thief, do I give my sins to Christ who will then promise me Paradise?

3. "Woman, behold thy son"

'Thy son' is John, who represents us (the Church). "Woman!" is the 2nd Annunciation; "behold thy son" is the 2nd Nativity. We are born of Mary in the 2nd Nativity of the spirit; Christ is born in the 1st Nativity of the flesh.

It has been said that Jesus never denies His Mother anything. Do I ask my Mother to intercede to her Son for me, my friends and family?

4. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

While He is still in union with the Father, Christ brings atonement to all those who have abandoned God, doubt God's presence in their lives, or are indifferent towards God.

Christ knows what I'm experiencing whenever I've been abandoned, rejected, lonely, hurt or isolated.

5. "I thirst"

Not said to anyone there at Calvary, or even to God. He says to all mankind, "I thirst...for love!"

Christ thirsts for my love; do I thirst for His?

6. "It is finished"

Christ triumphantly says this, like an artist who puts the finishing touches on a masterpiece. His work of Redemption is finished, but not complete (see Col 1:24). As the Mystical Body of Christ, we complete Christ's work of Redemption (by taking up our own Cross).

Do I accept crosses in my life with faith?

7. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"

Like the Prodigal Son who returns to his father's house, Christ is on the road back to His Father's House after spending His divine riches of power and wisdom on all humanity for 33 years.

Do I entrust my life to my Father in Heaven?

Now, it's personal

It's hard to believe that this September 11th will mark the 5 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. For all of us, 9/11 was personal. One man in particular, Pat Tillman, took 9/11 very personally. He was a professional football player who was about to sign a multi-million dollar contract. He gave all of that up to join the Army. For him, 9/11 was personal, and he responded by, ultimately, giving his life for the cause...the cause of freedom.

For us in Holy Week, now it's personal. Our Savior, the Son of God, was treated like a criminal by the Roman soldiers and Jewish leaders. Jesus suffered tremendously for me and for you. He shed a lot of blood for all of us... Now, it's personal. How will we respond?

It wasn't until I was in college that I took the events of Holy Week personally. It wasn't until then that I realized that Jesus endured all of this for me. He endured the whipping of the soldiers, being mocked and crowned with thorns, carrying a heavy cross, and hanging on that cross with nails in his hands and feet until he suffocated...for me. "This is my body", Greg, "given up for you"... Now it's personal. How will we respond?

It was actually when I started going to daily Mass in college that I realized that at every Mass, I am a witness to Calvary. The sacrifice on the altar is the same as the sacrifice on Calvary; Jesus tells us this in John 6:51. Christ's flesh and blood on the cross are re-presented on the altar. Whenever we go to Mass, we respond by saying 'Thank you, Jesus'.

Whenever we go to Confession, we respond. The main reason Jesus shed his blood was "so that sins may be forgiven". We have opportunities this week (via Penance services, e.g.) to respond by going to Confession.

We have opportunities this week to respond by participating in the Triduum services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which remember in a special way all that Jesus went through for us... Now, it's personal. How will we respond?

Bishops' statements on immigration

A SFA blogger recently inquired about the statements of the US Catholic bishops on the issue of immigration. Here are some excerpts from a USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) Chairman and our Archbishop, Cardinal McCarrick:

"The bishops do support a number of provisions in the Senate Judiciary committee-approved version of CIRA. Title VI would increase our national security by bringing a large number of the approximately 11 million undocumented aliens currently residing in the United States out of the shadows, subjecting them to security and health checks, and providing those who meet the measure’s stringent requirements a path to permanent residency. Contrary to the claims of opponents, the “earned adjustment” program contained in Title VI of CIRA is not an “amnesty” or “giveaway”. Instead, it would provide an opportunity for hard-working immigrants to earn their legal status over time...

The bishops also support provisions in Title IV and V, which would establish a temporary worker program to permit future flows of workers through legal means (Title IV) and would reorder the family- and employment-based immigration preference systems (Title V). Together, these provisions would adjust our immigration policies so as to both better meet the demand for immigrants and nonimmigrants and to help reunite separated families. These changes, in turn, will reduce incentives for people to come to the United States illegally...

While there is much to support in the Senate Judiciary Committee-reported version of CIRA, the bishops are deeply opposed to several provisions in Title II that would deprive immigrants of due process and even harm immigrants who are currently in the United States legally. We believe that as good as many of CIRA’s provisions are, a number of the provisions in Title II are harmful and should be either stricken or ameliorated during Senate floor consideration of the measure...

Ultimately, the U.S. Catholic Bishops support a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that would improve the U.S. immigration system so that it is humane, secure, and reflects the values upon which our nation - a nation of immigrants - was built. We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee reported a comprehensive measure rather than a measure that addressed only one aspect of our immigration problems. This is a good start but the full Senate needs to do more to make it a measure worthy of our nation’s tradition as a welcoming nation...

Most Reverend Gerald R. Barnes
Bishop of San Bernardino
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration
April 3, 2006
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“The compromise agreed to by the U.S. Senate today is an important step toward reaching an agreement on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. I urge President Bush and the House and Senate leadership to give assurances that the provisions in the compromise, which would assist 12 million undocumented to obtain legal status and eventual citizenship, are retained both on the Senate floor and in the conference committee.

“I also urge legislators to ameliorate or remove harsh enforcement provisions in Title II of the compromise, which would preclude certain undocumented persons from participating in the legalization program, as well as other overly punitive provisions within Title II.

“This is an important time for the future of our nation. I pray that all sides work together to fashion a final bill which creates an immigration system which is secure, humane and respectful of our tradition as a nation of immigrants.”

Cardinal McCarrick
April 6, 2006

The feminine genius

Please come support our basketball team of DC priests and seminarians, DC 'Hood, this Friday night as we take on a team of adults and teens from Mother Seton parish in Germantown. Game is at 7 pm, April 7, Martin Luther King middle school (13737 Wisteria Dr., Germantown). All are invited!!
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We recently had an exchange on this site about women and the Church. At the end of the exchange, I made the point that the Church is the greatest promoter of the dignity of women of any organization in the world. While some people might question the significance of this, I present a small taste of the Church's insights about not only the true dignity of women, but also the genius and devotion that is characteristic of women.

Pope John Paul II exhorted women especially in many ways during his pontificate. He wrote about the dignity of women in his apostolic letter, Mulieris Dignitatem (1988). In this letter, the Holy Father wrote about "the distinctively 'feminine' response of faith...about the things of God" (15) and how "women show to Christ... a special sensitivity which is characteristic of their femininity" (16). Also, he points out that at the Cross, "the women proved stronger than the Apostles" (15) and "the women are first at the tomb" (16).

In an Angelus reflection in 1995, he referred to the feminine genius:
"Woman has a genius all her own, which is vitally essential to both society and the Church…[She]is endowed with a particular capacity for accepting the human being in his concrete form. Even this singular feature which prepares her for motherhood, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually, is inherent in the plan of God who entrusted the human being to woman in an altogether special way".

Mary Ellen Bork, a Catholic writer, has commented on the Holy Father's writings and teachings about women. In his teachings, she writes, John Paul II "envisions femininity, renewed by spiritual life, as a dynamic active gift essential to family, society and the Church. What the pope calls 'the feminine genius' is a gift of openness to another person, the opposite of a self-centered focus on 'my rights'".

Mrs. Bork puts the Holy Father's insights in a more general framework. "As Pope John Paul II has taught, women have a key role in returning dignity to the sacrament of marriage and in preserving a culture that is worthy of the human person. These enormously important cultural tasks can be better served by women who are well formed in Christian values and well informed about the cultural battles in the policy arena.
It is as if women hold in their hands the threads that form the basic fabric of society and their efforts to weave these together in a unity will result in a stronger fabric that can resist the centrifugal pull of the culture".

In probably every talk or letter, John Paul II turned to the greatest Christian example of all time, the Blessed Virgin Mary. "Let us look at the Blessed Virgin's example... This is the "genius" of the woman! May Mary's thoughtful sensitivity, totally feminine and maternal, be the ideal mirror of all true femininity and motherhood!" (1995)

Suffering leads to Glory

A Sunday school teacher asked her class, "What was Jesus' mother's name?"
One child answered, "Mary."
The teacher then asked, "Who knows what Jesus' father's name was?"
A little kid said, "Verge."
Confused, the teacher asked, "Where did you get that?"
The kid said, "Well, you know they are always talking about Verge n' Mary.''
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We've been blogging quite a bit during Lent about the meaning of suffering, and it has been a fruitful time of reflection. The Christian meaning of suffering, as we have been discussing, is centered on the Cross of Christ which is the greatest sign of love in the world. Suffering for the sake of love, then, is the "greatest love" (Jn 15:13); Christ has shown us the way, and told us to follow Him. "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me" (Lk 9:23).

There is great comfort in this life for those who unite themselves with Christ in their suffering; we have said that that is the greatest way to imitate Christ. Some of us struggle to accept this, for one reason or another. But, while there is great value in living the Way of the Cross, the Christian understanding of suffering does not end at the Cross. The Cross is not the end; Calvary leads us to an end which is good beyond human understanding. Calvary leads us to Paradise; suffering leads to Glory.

The fact that Christian suffering (sacrificial love) leads to glory is found throughout Sacred Scripture. "All that we suffer in the present time is nothing in comparison with the glory which is destined to be disclosed for us" (Rom 8:18). How is it that suffering will lead us to glory? St Paul writes that it's because we are "molded to the pattern of (God's) Son" (30), called by the Father to be united with the Cross of Christ. "Those he called, he justified, and those that he has justified he has brought into glory" (30).

We see practical examples every day of how suffering leads to glory. Athletes, as St Paul points out, "deny themselves all sorts of things. They do this to win a crown..." (1 Cor 9:24-25). Scientists and doctors endure much mental strain for the prize of a new discovery in technology or medicine. Many students labor through their homework each day and night to make the Honor Roll. And while these are all worthwhile and valuable endeavors, "they do this to win a crown of leaves that withers, but we a crown that is imperishable" (1 Cor 9:24-25).

So, what is this imperishable crown which suffering wins us? Eternal life. "The temporary, light burden of our hardships is earning us for ever an utterly, incomparable, eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor 4:17). Christ himself was glorified forever in his Death and Resurrection. Anyone who, like St Peter, is a "witness to the sufferings of Christ" will "have a share in the glory that is to be revealed" (1 Pet 5:1).

"In all truth I tell you, you will be weeping and wailing whie the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy" (Jn 16:20).

Prayers of praise and thanksgiving

Someone recently made a great suggestion that there be prayers of thanksgiving on this site. Great idea, thanks! So, below is a prayer of praise from St Francis of Assisi, and then below that is a prayer of thanksgiving of mine. Please feel free to leave your own prayers (thanksgiving, praise, intentions, etc.) under "comments".
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"You are holy, Lord, the only God, and your deeds are wonderful. You are strong. You are great. You are the Most High, You are almighty. You, holy Father, are King of heaven and earth. You are Three and One, Lord God, all good. You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.

You are love, You are wisdom. You are humility, You are endurance. You are rest, You are peace. You are joy and gladness. You are justice and moderation. You are all our riches, And you suffice for us.

You are beauty. You are gentleness. You are our protector, You are our guardian and defender. You are courage. You are our haven and our hope. You are our faith, Our great consolation. You are our eternal life, Great and wonderful Lord, God almighty, Merciful Savior".

St. Francis of Assisi
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A typical prayer of thanksgiving I make each day after Mass: "Lord Jesus, thank you for all that you have given me, especially the incredible gift of the Eucharist. Thank you for your sacrifice on the Cross. Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of this Bread from Heaven...the Bread of Life. I thank you, Lord, I thank you. Please let me serve you this day in doing the Will of the Father.
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Other prayers??

A sixth grader's question about abortion

This is my response to a question on abortion from one of the sixth graders in the SFA Religious Ed program (please see his question under "comments" for this post). Pretty amazing question and writing from a 6th grader!
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Hey, buddy, thanks very much for your great questions! Wow, did you write these yourself? You think and write much more maturely than a sixth grader...I am impressed! So, because you have such sophisticated questions, I will have to get a little sophisticated, but will try to keep it as simple as I can.

First of all, a baby can never be aborted, no matter what the circumstances are. If it's going to die after birth, then the best thing would be to give birth to the child, and have a priest or deacon baptize him/her right away. That couldn't happen if the baby is aborted. Not only do you give the baby every chance to live, but you give the baby eternal life (through Baptism).

You then talk about if the baby's birth is going to kill the mother, and shouldn't we save one life instead of losing two. Well, this situation is very, very rare. In almost all cases like this, there is another reason (for example, she has a cancerous tumor) that the woman might die if she gives birth. I don't know if I've ever heard of a woman dying just from giving birth, and no other reason.

So, let's say a pregnant mother has cancer. The doctors try to remove her cancerous tumor, and in the process of removing it and saving the life of the mother, they unintentionally kill the fragile baby in the womb. If their intention and the intention of the parents is to save the mother's life and don't intend on killing the baby, this is not a grave sin. The Church says they should do everything they can to save the life of the mother and the baby, but sometimes (and this is extremely rare) the baby dies in the process. This is called an indirect abortion. Abortion is not directly intended; it is the result of saving the life of the mother.

The Church is against any and all direct abortions: "direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (# 2271, Catechism of the Catholic Church). That means it is always a grave sin to directly abort a baby, in all circumstances. If people intend to kill the baby in the womb (even if it's to save the mother's life), it is a direct abortion and always evil. If they are doing a procedure that is mainly to save the mother's life, and during the procedure, the baby dies, it is an indirect abortion and not an evil act. It's all about what people intend to do.

Keep in mind that over 95% of all abortions in the United States occur because people don't want a baby, so they choose to kill it. Less than 1% of all abortions occur in the example I gave, as a result of saving the life of the mother. This can get very complicated, but the main point is that it is always a serious sin to kill a baby or anyone...God has said "thou shall not kill".

Finally, there are a few examples of some women who chose to go through with their pregnancy, even though they knew it would kill them. St Gianna Beretta Molla lived in Italy about 70 years ago. When she was pregnant with her fourth child, doctors told her that she had cancer and that she should abort her child. She chose to give birth, and the baby was born healthy, and is now a beautiful woman. Gianna died within a year of giving birth. She chose to die so that her baby might live; she is a true hero. She was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2004, and is now the Patron Saint of the Pro-Life movement.

Christ and the Church are one

It is really great that we have so many bloggers. I truly appreciate all of your comments and questions. There is a wide range of views and experiences here, and it is very helpful for people to grow in their faith by reading the comments of others. Everyone's view is welcome here, Catholic or not. We have some Catholic comments, and some non-Catholic comments. Let me take just a sec to point out the difference.

When I say 'Catholic comments', I mean those comments or questions that are in union with the mind and heart of the Church. The word "catholic" means universal (literally, one word). When we talk about the mind and heart of the Church, we mean that we are of one mind and heart (really, in the one mind and heart of Christ). This all started with the Apostles, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, were "with one heart" (Acts 2:46) which led to all the faithful early Christians being "one in heart" (Acts 5:12). We say in the Creed every Sunday that we believe in "one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church".

When we are in union with the mind and heart of the Church - body, mind, spirit - we are in union with the Truth, who is Christ (see Jn 14:6). Christ and the Church are one: "Christ is the head, the Church is the body" (Col 1:18). How do we know that the Catholic Church is the Church referred to in Sacred Scripture? Well, that would be for another post, but one will find that answer by studying early Church history. Basically, the teachings and practices of the early Church that Christ founded upon Peter and the Apostles and guided by the Holy Spirit are the same teachings and practices of the Catholic Church in 2006. Many Protestant scholars have realized that, and have come into full union with the Church because of their study of the Bible and the early Church.

The first thing I think when I'm reading someone's comment or listening to their position is, 'on what authority do they base their statement / teaching?' Here on this site, I present the teachings of the Catholic Church. The authority on which the Catholic Church bases her teachings is Jesus Christ. That means that it comes from the Truth, and is the Truth. "Anyone who listens to you listens to me" (Lk 10:16). Christ gives Peter and the Apostles the authority to speak the Truth in Mt 16:19 and Mt 18:18, and to go out to "all nations...and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you" (Mt 28:19-20). The teaching authority of the Church is the teaching authority of Christ. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church cannot be in error when teaching about faith and morals. She teaches the Truth.

So, a comment that is "non-Catholic" would be one that is not one with the Truth (mainly regarding religious or philosophical comments). An example would be the comment someone made here that our current Church was created by men. On what authority is this based? Is it in Scripture? Is it the Tradition of the Church? The Catholic comment to that would be similar to what I've written above. My authority for saying that the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and has been guided by the Holy Spirit is Sacred Scripture (mainly, the Acts of the Apostles) and Sacred Tradition (the 2000 year old written and oral tradition of the Church).

We have to be very careful what we say about the Church, the Bride of Christ. What we say about Her, we say about Him. Christ and the Church are one. If the authority on which we base our comments is the Truth, then our comments are objectively true (and truly Catholic). If not, then our comments are merely our own opinions (i.e., "subjectively true" for each one of us).

A question about domestic violence

Recently, a SFA blogger described the tragic situation of her sister who has painfully stayed with her husband after years and years of domestic violence. Her sister, a devout Catholic, has heroically "raised four children with this man, after she knew he was abusive and she and her husband raised them in an atmosphere of degradation, violence and intimidation". She and the four kids still suffer tremendously, both physically and mentally, each day now as adults.

"She could have left this man at any time and saved herself and her children, one of whom is an emotional cripple, all that suffering. God did not send her that suffering, she brought it upon herself and her children because she believes her husband is her cross to bear on Earth. The Church says divorce is bad, but is divorce worse than inflicting a lifetime of suffering on innocent children?"
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First of all, I am deeply sorry for this woman's sister and her children. Domestic violence is one scary thing, and I cannot imagine what it must be like to live in that kind of Hell. Not only do you have to endure physical suffering from someone with whom you live, it is inflicted on you by the one person you trusted more than anyone ... someone with whom you were in love. A terrible, terrible cross for any woman to bear. But, as one blogger correctly put it, it's not a cross that God asks her to bear, if she physically can get out of that awful situation.

And, that gets to the question. The Church doesn't expect this great woman of faith to stay in this dreadful and dangerous situation. In fact, the Church says she should get her and the children out. They are in grave danger; she has a responsibility to herself and to her children to protect their safety, first and foremost. She should contact her bishop, who will give her permission to separate, or if she feels it's necessary, should leave before receiving his permission.

The following is Canon 1153 of the Code of Canon Law (1983) that speaks to this question: "If either of the spouses causes grave mental or physical danger to the other spouse or to the offspring or otherwise renders common life too difficult, that spouse gives the other a legitimate cause for leaving, either by decree of the local ordinary or even on his or her own authority if there is danger in delay".

Now, to the anonymous blogger who wrote that "the Church has turned their heads the other way when it comes to the needs of women". In what ways do you mean, and can you give specific examples? Until you do, this is an irresponsible, unsubstantiated statement. I will write it here, and then in one of my next posts, that the Catholic Church is the greatest defender of the dignity of women in the world.