Ashton Kutcher's refreshing, "sexy" message to teens

There is a small chance for rain for this Sunday's Opening BBQ.  If it is raining between 12-4 pm, the BBQ (and 1000 Chipotle burritos) will be at the GW Newman Center, 2210 F St.

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Another pleasant surprise coming from the world of celebrities, this time a short speech by popular actor Ashton Kutcher at the "Teen Choice Awards" this summer.  He emphasized three points to the teens who are enamored with him: opportunity, what's really beautiful, and living life.  The last part might err in the usual realm of overly individualistic, but the first two parts are really good. 

Two things struck me about this: 1) it is incredibly refreshing.  I don't remember the last time I heard a positive message to teens from a celebrity. If you know of another speech like this, please post a comment about it. 2) Something is stirring inside Kutcher that might be really good.  It took a lot of courage for him to do this, not just with that audience, but with Hollywood in general. 

Maybe this is a result of making the movie on Steve Jobs, but whatever it's been, the guy seems inspired. But, the point about what is truly good and beautiful - what is "sexy" as he says - is the main thing that intrigued and inspired me.  He probably turned the worlds of thousands if not millions of teens upside down by saying that "the sexiest thing in the entire world is to be really smart...to be thoughtful...and to be generous".  Sexy has to do with the soul, not the body!

HERE is the link to the video with the brief description of the one who posted it: "Encouraging words from an unlikely source. Someone in Hollywood finally telling our kids (and whoever else is listening) 3 keys: building a life rather than living one, find your opportunities, and always be sexy." 

Opening BBQ: "The best day of the year at GW"

Last night after class, a GW Catholic overheard her classmates talking about our Opening BBQ this Sunday.  They said, "so yeah, Sunday at U Yard, the Catholics are serving free Chipotle.  It's the best day of the year at GW".  God is awesome.

 

 

 

 

Homily - "I won’t judge you, I will love you"

 Click HERE to listen to Sunday's homily.
 

Welcome back to all of you students!   I hope you had a very good summer.  Hard to believe that classes start tomorrow…ready or not, here they come!  A special welcome to all of our new students here – freshmen, transfer, and grad students.  It’s so good to have you all here.  We’re pumped for a great year together.  My name is Father Greg and I’m the chaplain of the Catholic student center at GW – the Newman Center.  The Newman Center is located at 22^nd and F…it’s a yellow townhouse which is easy to spot.  You can check out our bulletin and website, and see all that we offer. 

We really try to offer you an experience of the kingdom of God on campus.  In fact, what’s talked about the kingdom in tonight’s readings sounds like the Newman Center.  People come from all over – from all the nations, from the east and the west, the north and south.  They come to “recline at the table” of the Lord.  We do a lot of reclining at table…we do a lot of FREE FOOD! That’s kinda our specialty….especially Chipotle.   All students are welcome at our place: Catholics and non-Catholics, people who have been formed well and people who haven’t, people from all different places or backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, personalities….ALL ARE WELCOME! Jesus talks about entering through the narrow gate…again, this sounds like Newman!  We have narrow doorways, hallways, and stairways.  We’re so biblical!  Ha, I just hope that you all make yourselves at home at your new “home away from home”.

As your chaplain, I am available 24/7 for you.  To that point, I want you to take your cell phones out and add me as a contact…yes, use your cell phones in Church.  It’s “Father Greg” or just “FG” if you don’t want people to see my name come up, that’s cool.  240.463.9960. Text or call me whenever…some students have called in the middle of the night before.  I’m here for emergencies or just to talk or hang out or smoke a cigar.  Many students take me up on this – by the way, you can put your phones away now! – but some are uncomfortable to do so.  I get it.  It can be intimidating or embarrassing to talk to a priest…especially about your problems.  Well, let me put your mind at ease just a bit and let you know that I have problems, too.

In the language of our Lord who says “the first shall be last, the last shall be first”, I am among the last when it comes to priests.  I’m not just saying this…I have the resume to back it up!  I will tell you the full story next week about how I overslept a morning Mass that I was supposed to celebrate for the parish here….it was an 11 AM Mass.  Wow, pretty tough to do.  And, as you’ll come to know well, I took 12 years to complete seminary when it’s normally 6 years after college.  Yeah, so, I see myself in the lower tier of priests when it comes to holiness, intelligence, theological stuff…among the last of priests.  When you feel like you’re the last of students or Catholics or people, I feel ya.  I have related to many students along these lines the past four years.  Simply put, I am a great sinner…and, I did worse things than you in college!  I won’t judge you, I will love you.

So, what does this whole paradox of Christ mean: “the first shall be last, the last shall be first”?  The example of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, tells us.  This Pope has put the last first.  From the start of his papacy, he has put the poor first.  He has reached out to the poor and needy, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the handicapped, etc. This is such an excellent vision of the kingdom of God.  To God, the last come first. 

Back to the business of texting or calling me.  Let’s say you contact me to talk, and then tell me, “Father, everything is fine, no problems.”  I will probably put you at the end of my line for meetings.  The first will be last.  But, if you come talk to me and are real with me about your problems with family or relationships or whatever, then you come first.  I put the last first.  If you feel like you’re last, then you’re first to God and to me. 

Finally, our community is centered on Jesus in the Eucharist.  We truly believe what the Church teaches – and what catches many GW Catholics off guard – that the Eucharist is really the Body and Blood of Christ.  It is really Him in the flesh.  It is Him who says to those who feel that they are last, “you are first in the Kingdom of God”.

"A Catholic Conversation on Race, Religion & the March on Washington"

This news just came in (in addition to the "Catholic Conversation...):

 

Cardinal Wuerl to Celebrate Mass, Participate in Prayer Service Commemorating

50th Anniversary of March on Washington

On Sunday, August 25, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, will celebrate a Mass for

Peace and Justice on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and

Freedom. The Mass will provide an opportunity to pray for unity and harmony.

Mass for Peace and Justice – 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Sunday, August 25, 2013
5:30 p.m.
Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle
1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

In addition, on Wednesday, August 28, Cardinal Wuerl will participate in the 50th Anniversary of the

March on Washington “Let Freedom Ring” Interfaith Prayer Service, the official opening of the
anniversary day’s events. The prayer service, which will honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. through prayer, scripture, interfaith reflections, and song, will include leaders from
America's diverse faith traditions and young people from different backgrounds, united by the same
cause.----------------------------------------

I know that tomorrow is move-in day at GW, but for those able to attend the March on Washington, please consider attending the Mass and discussion advertised below after the March.  Let us all hope and pray that the March will be peaceful and bear the fruits of justice.

 A Catholic Conversation on Race, Religion & the March on Washington
August 25th, 12:30 PM

Sister Mary Peters, a leader of the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice, may have said it best. Speaking to a fellow sister during the 1960s, she said, "Once you have marched in Selma, Sister, you can never stay home again." These words must surely encapsulate the experience of many people of faith - including Catholics - who were called to Selma, to Mobile, to Memphis throughout the 60s and to Washington, DC on a hot August day in 1963.

We are called to continue the work of everyday Catholics who courageously illuminated our Catholic Social Justice Tradition in the 1960s. The critical events of this summer, the economic and social inequities amplified by the recession and its aftermath for the Black, Latino and other racial minority communities, and the recent inspiring words by the nation’s first African American president make A Catholic Conversation on Race and Religion and the March on Washington more important now than ever.

We hope A Catholic Conversation ... may provide an impetus - with the help of the Holy Spirit - for similar conversations to take place in dioceses and parishes across the country.



Date: August 25, 2013
Time: 11:00 AM Mass
 12:30 PM Panel Discussion
Location: Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
206 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
Hosted by: Holy Redeemer Catholic Church

Featured Guests for Moderated Panel and Q&A:
John Carr: Director, Initiative on Catholic Social Thought & Public Life, Georgetown University
Sister Patricia Chappell, SNDdeN: Executive Director, Pax Christi USA
Monsignor Ray East: Pastor, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church
Donna Toliver Grimes: USCCB, Assistant Director for African American Affairs
Ralph McCloud: Director, Catholic Campaign for Human Development
DISCLAIMER: The participation of the featured guests at this event is not an endorsement of their support for the event co-sponsors.

"How many saints is your parish creating?"

The following are excerpts from an online article from Matthew Warner, the founder of Flocknote, "Why the world doesn't take Catholicism seriously".  To view the full article, click HERE.

..When I travel, I always get asked by parents how they can get their adult children back to church. It's an epidemic. We know this.

And we can talk about catechesis and community and leadership and orthodoxy and the sacraments and the fullness of truth. We can complain about politics and how we need more preaching from the pulpit. But here is the core problem. Here is the practical reason why people are not convinced of the Catholic faith anymore:

We Catholics don't look or act any different than non-catholics. It's that simple.

The question we must answer is "if Catholicism offers a better way, why don't Catholics' lives seem any better?"

...What we must focus on most is what the Church does best. Our competitive advantage. What nobody else can do like the Catholic Church does: Create saints.

Saints are beacons of Christ to the world. They are the most tangible fruits of the sacraments.

How many saints is your parish creating? That is the ultimate metric.

Saints will not lose their faith because of your bad liturgical music. They can suffer bad preaching, small budgets, poor management and every single one of the many fools we have in this hospital for sinners. They will still be there at Mass, quietly and slowly winning the world for Christ. Slowly transforming the Church. Recruiting other saints and fixing all of these other problems (and yes, they are problems that need fixing) in the process.

A saint is a powerful weapon in this culture war and every war to come. They are compelling in every age and from every angle. They need few words to be understood. They need no defense. They need no money, glory or fame. They have but to be themselves and the world can't help but change.

But we've gotten bad at making saints.

Because we've gotten bad at teaching. And I'm not talking about what we say in the classroom or preach from the pulpit. I'm talking about our example.

The best teachers show. As children we learn more by what we see our parents do than any words they ever say. We've forgotten this when it comes to handing on the faith.

...Instead of lecturing people that they have to go to Sunday Mass, inspire them to want to go. Instead of telling them to dress more appropriately for Mass, give them something worth dressing up for. Instead of telling them not to be unchaste, fascinate them with chastity. And on and on.

It must not only be an affirmative orthodoxy, but also an active orthodoxy.

Instead of talking about how beautiful the faith is, show them its beauty. Instead of insisting upon how good the Church is, be Good. Instead of lecturing about truth, live a life transformed by it.
You don't have to beat people over the head with the truth. You just have to open them up to it. Prepare the way. Then get out of the way. Open the cage door and the Truth will speak for itself. It will roar like a lion, who - once encountered - needs no help being taken seriously.

Taking Catholicism seriously

... We need more people to answer the radical call to sainthood. We need saints. Not just saints of the past, but your sainthood.

When the world sees you, they don't have to see a saint, but at least let them see a sinner set on sainthood. We shouldn't need to tell people we're Catholic. They should smell it in our sweat. They should see Christ radiating authentically and naturally from every move we make. If they can't, we need to shut up and stop talking about what's wrong with everyone else and we need to start living a more compelling life.

 

We need an army of saints willing to live a radical life for Christ and others. Saints are compelling. Empty words and prideful lectures are not.

...Each of us have been called to live a radical life. To be a saint.

"If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!" - St. Catherine of Sienna

"10 Celebrities Who 'Came Out' As Pro-Life" (Buzzfeed.com)

A GW Catholic posted this link on her Facebook with, "Surprised to see this on Buzzfeed!".  I'm not a regular on Buzzfeed.com, but I'm guessing from her comment and one look at their site that pro-life coverage is new for them.  Hopefully, a good sign!

It's a shot in the arm for pro-lifers, but a minor one at that.  The list should be much longer!  I was aware of just about the views of each person from the list except for Jack Nicholson:

"Nicholson’s mother chose life for Jack as a pregnant teenager. 'I’m very contra my constituency in terms of abortion because I’m positively against it. I don’t have the right to any other view,' Nicholson told the National Review in 2003. 'My only emotion is gratitude, literally, for my life.'”

Pope to athletes: "I’m confident of all the good you can do among youths"

Pope Calls on Athletes to Be Good Role Models

Discourages Turning Sport Into Merely a Big Business

VATICAN CITY, August 13, 2013 (Zenit.org) - This morning Pope Francis met with members of the Italian and Argentinian national soccer teams. They are in Rome for a friendly match that has been organized for Wednesday night in honor of Pope Francis.

Speaking in both Italian and Spanish, the Holy Father expressed his hope that the match would truly be a friendly one. He reminded the players that they are role models and encouraged them to take that responsibility seriously. 

 

He asked them to foster the beauty, generosity, and camaraderie that sport can produce – and called for even professional athletes to recover the ideals of being an amateur, of recovering the initial vocation of the athlete.

Pope Francis also warned about letting sport become simply a big business. He called on managers to “do your work in such a way that the sporting character will not be lost.”

 

Turning to Spanish, the Pope spoke about his memories of going to soccer matches with his family as a young boy in Buenos Aires – and spoke fondly about his memories of the Gasómetro Stadium in Buenos Aires, and the winning season of 1946. He called on players to “live your sport as a gift from God, an opportunity not only to improve your talents, but also a responsibility."

 

And he returned to the idea that athletes are examples and role models, encouraging them to set an example of loyalty, respect, and selflessness.

 

He said: "Dear players, I would like to remind you especially, that you are a point of reference in life in the way you behave, both on the field as well as outside it. Last Sunday I talked on the telephone with some boys of a group. They wanted to greet me. I chatted with them for about half an hour and, of course, the great topic of those boys was tomorrow’s match. They mentioned several of you and said: 'no, I like this one for this reason, this one for that, and this other one for this.' You are an example, you are points of reference. The good you do is impressive. You do good with your conduct, with your game, with your values; people look at you -- take advantage of this to sow goodness. Even if you don’t realize it, you are models, for good or evil, for so many people who look at you with admiration. Be conscious of this and give an example of loyalty, respect and altruism. You are also architects of understanding and social peace, architects of understanding and social peace that we so need. You are a reference for so many youths and model of values embodied in life. I’m confident of all the good you can do among youths."

 

Pope Francis ended his remarks by praying that the athletes will continue to be able to pursue the “noble vocation” of sport – and he asked them to pray for him, too, “that on the playing field that the Lord has placed me, I can play the game honestly and courageously, for the good of all."

"Miracle in Missouri": angel or bilocating priest?

An incredible story of rescue in Missouri has emerged this week.  It is making rounds in the press under the heading of a miracle, as you can see in the online article below from USA TODAY.  Thanks be to God that the young woman involved in the accident survived, although she sustained many serious injuries.  That phrase, "thanks be to God", applies in a direct way to which witnesses on the scene have attested. 

Many are suggesting that an angel came to the crash scene in the form of a priest as the young woman asked for someone to pray with her.  This is definitely possible, and I have heard of rescue stories under the heading of the intervention of an angel.  An example of one is here.  I've never heard of an angel in the form of a priest, but with God all things are possible.  Now, it's not that an angel became a priest or a priest became an angel; they are separate classifications of beings.  And, if the priest is tracked down or comes forward, then we can eliminate the possibility of an angel in the mix.

Allow me to raise another possibility: bilocation of the priest.  This means that the priest was in two places at one time, a supernatural event that has occurred on occasion among saints in the Church.   It is a special gift the Lord gives to certain saints which St. Pio would describe as "an extension of their personalities".  Padre Pio actually bilocated on a few occasions as verified by several witnesses.  Read about these amazing stories here. 

Many questions arise from a story like this.  There seems to be one answer that emerged immediately: God intervened to save this precious daughter of His who asked for His help.    


'Angel' priest visits Missouri accident scene

Melanie Eversley, USA TODAY
August 8, 2013

Emergency workers and community members in eastern Missouri are not sure what to make of a mystery priest who showed up at a critical accident scene Sunday morning and whose prayer seemed to change life-threatening events for the positive.

Even odder, the black-garbed priest does not appear in any of the nearly 70 photos of the scene of the accident in which a 19-year-old girl almost died. No one knows the priest and he vanished without a word, said Raymond Reed, fire chief of New London, Mo.

"I think it's a miracle," Reed said. "I would say whether it was an angel that was sent to us in the form of a priest or a priest that became our angel, I don't know. Either way, I'm good with it."

Carla Churchill Lentz, mother of the teen who was critically injured, said emergency workers have told her there is no way her daughter should have lived inside such a mangled car. Of the priest, she said, "I do believe he certainly could have been an angel dressed in priest's attire because the Bible tells us there are angels among us."

The scene unfolded Sunday morning. Katie Lentz, a sophomore at Tulane University, was driving from her parents' home in Quincy, Ill., to Jefferson City, Mo., where she has a summer internship and planned to attend church with friends. The Mercedes she was driving collided with another vehicle on a highway near Center, Mo. The accident crushed Lentz's vehicle into a ball of sheet metal that lay on the driver's side, Reed said.

Reed's team and emergency workers from several other jurisdictions tried for at least 45 minutes to remove the twisted metal from around Lentz. Various pieces of equipment broke and the team was running out of choices. A helicopter waited to carry Lentz to the nearest trauma center. Though Lentz appeared calm, talking about her church and her studies toward a dentistry degree, her vital signs were beginning to fail, Reed said.

"I was pulled off to the side by one of the members of the" helicopter evacuation team, Reed said.

"He expressed to me that we were out of time. Her condition looked grim for her coming out of that vehicle alive. She was facing major problems."

At that point, Reed's team agreed to take the life-threatening chance of sitting the vehicle upright so that Lentz could be removed from it. This is dangerous because a sudden change in pressure to the body can be critical, he said.

That's when Lentz asked if someone would pray with her and a voice said, "I will."

The silver-haired priest in his 50s or 60s in black pants, black shirt and black collar with visible white insert stepped forward from nowhere. It struck Reed as odd because the street was blocked off 2 miles from the scene and no one from the nearby communities recognized him.

"We're all local people from four different towns," Reed said. "We've only got one Catholic church out of three towns and it wasn't their priest."

Reed and the other emergency workers were on their knees. The priest of about medium build, maybe 6-feet-tall, stood above them.

"This priest approached Katie and began to pray openly with her," Reed said. "He had a bottle of anointing oil with him and he used that."

Another firefighter who had been watching said it appeared as if the priest also sprinkled Reed and two other emergency workers nearby with oil.

Everything happened quickly after that. Twenty emergency workers pulled together and sat the car upright, Churchill Lentz said. Katie Lentz's vital signs improved and a rescue team from a neighboring community suddenly appeared with fresh equipment and tools. Lentz was removed and rushed to the hospital.

With Lentz gone, the rescue team prepared to clean up, Reed said.

"We all go back to thank this priest and he's gone," he said.

Initially, they assumed he had to get to his home church to lead Sunday services. But then they looked at their photos of the scene.

"I have 69 photographs that were taken from minutes after that accident happened — bystanders, the extrication, our final cleanup — and he's not in them," Reed said. "All we want to do is thank him."

Meantime, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reports a 26-year-old male was arrested Sunday on charges of DWI, failure to drive on the right half of the roadway and second-degree felony assault. He was treated and released from a local hospital, according to the report.

The Facebook page of Lentz's mother, Carla Church Lentz, indicates Lentz is on the mend despite suffering two broken femurs, a broken tibia and fibia, broken left wrist, nine broken ribs, a lacerated liver, ruptured spleen and bruised lung.

Churchill Lentz said her daughter has undergone two surgeries at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill., and will undergo two more, but has been upgraded from critical to serious and is doing well.

"She sustained a lot of injuries, however, her face is beautiful, her teeth are perfect, she is sunshine, and everyone who's contacted us — those emergency personnel, the Missouri State Patrol, the deputies, the firemen — they are all saying the same thing, she never cried, she never screamed, she would just say, 'pray for me and pray out loud.' "

Miracle of the Eucharist in Mexico recently?

Mexico City, Mexico, Aug 2, 2013 / 12:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Msgr. Ramiro Valdes Sanchez, vicar general of Guadalajara, Mexico, has announced that the archdiocese is investigating a possible Eucharistic miracle that reportedly took place last week.

Msgr. Valdes Sanchez said he has received instructions from the archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Jose Francisco Robles Ortega, to direct the investigation.

The pastor of Mary Mother of the Church, Father Jose Dolores Castellanos Gudino, said that on July 24, while he was kneeling in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, he saw a flash of light and heard a voice.

“Ring the bells so that everyone comes,” the voice allegedly instructed. “I will pour blessings upon those present and the entire day. Take your small tabernacle for private adoration to the parish altar and put the large monstrance next to the small tabernacle. Don’t open the tabernacle until three in the afternoon, not before.”

“I will perform a miracle in the Eucharist,” the voice continued, “the miracle that will take place will be called, ‘Miracle of the Eucharist in the incarnation of love together with our Mother and Lady.’ Copy the image that I will give you now and show it to others.”

The voice then reportedly told him to share this with all of his priests to aid in their conversion and that he would fill all souls with blessings.

Fr. Gudino said that after hearing the voice he could only say, “My Lord, I am your servant, let your will be done.”

With local people gathered at 3 p.m., he recounted that he “approached the tabernacle and upon opening it the host consecrated by Our Lord Jesus Christ was covered in blood.”

According to the priest, the voice also told him to establish an adoration chapel and to allow any scientific study necessary to confirm the miracle.

Msgr. Sanchez said samples from the host will be studied in Guadalajara.

“First of all the testimony needs to be gathered from three people who were present, obviously in this case from the pastor,” he explained.

He also said that a team of experts will be assembled to investigate whether there is a scientific explanation for the phenomenon.

“While this is occurring, the Church in Guadalajara, through the Cardinal Archbishop, has said that the Host should not be exposed to the public and that it be kept in a safe place, in a tabernacle,” he added.

“The Catholic Church’s legal doctrine states that when an extraordinary, uncommon event occurs, the necessary precautions should be taken to determine if the event can be explained by natural causes or if a more serious investigation is necessary to determine if it goes beyond the natural and whether or not it should be considered a miraculous event,” he explained.

"He will transfigure our miserable body"

 

For today's feast of the Transfiguration, here is an excerpt of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa.  To view the full commentary, please click here.

 

 

 

...Let us now go back to the episode of the Transfiguration to draw from it some practical teaching. Even the Transfiguration is a mystery "for us," it hits close to home.

In the second reading St. Paul says: "The Lord Jesus transfigured our miserable body, conforming it to his glorious body." Tabor is an open window on our future; it assures us that the opacity of our body will one day be transformed into light. But Tabor also tells us something about the present. It highlights what our body already is, beneath its miserable appearance: the temple of the Holy Spirit.

For the Bible the body is not an inessential element of human beings; it is an integral part. Man does not have a body, he is a body. The body was created directly by God, assumed by the Word in the incarnation and sanctified by the Spirit in baptism.

The man of the Bible is enchanted by the splendor of the human body: "You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me" (Psalm 139). The body is destined to share the same glory in eternity as the soul. "Body and soul: either they will be two hands joined in eternal adoration or two wrists bound together in eternal captivity" (Charles Péguy).

Christianity preaches the salvation of the body, not salvation from the body, as the Manichean and Gnostic religions did in antiquity and as some Eastern religions do today.

And what can we say to those who suffer? What can we say to those who witness the deformation of their own bodies or those of loved ones? The most consoling message of the Transfiguration is perhaps for them. "He will transfigure our miserable body, conforming it to his glorious body."

Bodies humiliated by sickness and death will be ransomed. Even Jesus will be disfigured in the passion, but will rise with a glorious body with which he will live for eternity and, faith tells us, with which he will meet us after death.

"We need saints"

This likeable poem has gone viral recently, but has been incorrectly attributed to Pope Francis at World Youth Day and even Pope John Paul II before that.  Go here to learn more about its origin.


WE NEED SAINTS

We need saints without veil or cassock.

We need saints who wear jeans and sneakers.

We need saints who go to the movies, listen to music and hang out with friends.

We need saints who put God in first place, but who let go of their power.

We need saints who have time everyday to pray and who know how to date in purity and chastity, or who consecrate their chastity.

We need modern saints, Saints of the 21st century with a spirituality that is part of our time.

We need saints committed to the poor and the necessary social changes.

We need saints who live in the world and who are sanctified in the world, who are not afraid to live in the world.

We need saints who drink Coke and eat hot dogs, who wear jeans, who are Internet-savvy, who listen to CDs.

We need saints who passionately love the Eucharist and who are not ashamed to drink a soda or eat pizza on weekends with friends.

We need saints who like movies, the theater, music, dance, sports.

We need saints who are social, open, normal, friendly, happy and who are good companions.

We need saints who are in the world and know how to taste the pure and nice things of the world but who aren’t of the world.