PathToHoliness

Happy Father’s Day to all Dads everywhere. My Dad is not a computer kind of guy so I’ll call him later today to wish him well. Let’s all say a prayer to the patron saint of fathers, St.

Joseph.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

Mathew 1:18-25

Let’s hope that fatherhood grows in our society. Former President George W. Bush said this on Father’s Day:

Responsible fatherhood is important to a healthy and civil society. Numerous studies confirm that children whose fathers are present and involved in their lives are more likely to develop into prosperous and healthy adults. Children learn by example; and they need their father’s presence as examples of virtue in their daily lives. A child’s sense of security can be greatly enhanced by seeing his parents in a loving and faithful marriage.”

I agree. So Dads, I hope you’re finding a way to spend time with your children. Even in today’s culture you can do simple things even after they’ve left home like call them, email them a message, send ’em a text message even.

I love my wife and my children and today I also hope and pray for them.

While it’s still the month of Mary I thought I’d post this image that I currently have in the sidebar.

It’s a photo of a print we have hanging up in the adoration chapel at the Cathedral of St. Joseph here in Jefferson City, MO. The print is signed by Charles Bosseron Chambers and titled, “Most Gracious Advocate.” It’s one of my favorite images of our Blessed Lady. If anyone knows where you can find one of these prints please let me know. I’ve searched online but have not found this image of his.

Here’s one of my favorite prayers which is a poem written by Mary Dixon Thayer. Archbishop Fulton Sheen made it very popular.

Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue

Lovely Lady dressed in blue
Teach me how to pray!
God was just your little boy,
Tell me what to say!

Did you lift Him up, sometimes,
Gently on your knee?
Did you sing to Him the way
Mother does to me?

Did you hold His hand at night?
Did you ever try
Telling stories of the world?
O! And did He cry?

Do you really think He cares
If I tell Him things
Little things that happen? And
Do the Angels’ wings

Make a noise? And can He hear
Me if I speak low?
Does He understand me now?
Tell me for you know.

Lovely Lady dressed in blue
Teach me how to pray!
God was just your little boy,
And you know the way.

Asking a saint for help with a particular problem is a long standing custom and for people who are looking for work I just found one on the Opus Dei website. You can find the full novena with this link (pdf).

During these times of economic crisis, many people have lost their jobs and face serious difficulties supporting their families. With his teaching about the sanctification of ordinary work, St. Josemaría is a natural intercessor for all those seeking work or anxious about losing their job.

Above is a link to a Novena for Work that thousands of people have used to ask St. Josemaría’s intercession for finding or keeping jobs. Use it yourself and send it along to any friends or relatives looking for work.

Each day of the 9-day prayer starts with a quotation from St. Josemaria and then an intention for work or to do a good job.

I just completed an evening of recollection at Immaculate Conception in Dardenne Prairie, MO. I’ll add a photo later since I’m posting this from my phone on the way home.

Fr. Jay Alvarez gave two meditation talks on St. Paul’s call to be an Apostle and proclaim the Gospel, something we’re all called to do.

Post update: Fr. Jay was taking points for his talk from the Holy Father’s General Audience of last September 10. Here are some key points from Pope Benedict’s remarks:

Therefore, according to St Paul’s conception, what is it that makes him and others apostles? In his Letters three principal characteristics of the true apostle appear. The first is to have “seen Jesus our Lord” (cf. 1 Cor 9: 1), that is, to have had a life-changing encounter with him. Similarly, in his Letter to the Galatians (cf. 1: 15-16) Paul was to say that he had been called or chosen, almost, through God’s grace with the revelation of his Son, in view of proclaiming the Good News to the Gentiles. In short, it is the Lord who appoints to the apostolate and not one’s own presumption. The apostle is not made by himself but is made such by the Lord; consequently the apostle needs to relate constantly to the Lord. Not without reason does Paul say that he is “called to be an apostle” (Rm 1: 1), in other words, “an apostle – not from men nor through human means, but “through Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Gal 1: 1). This is the first characteristic: to have seen the Lord, to have been called by him.

Read the rest of this post…

I did a little searching in the iTunes Apps Store and found a few more apps you might be interested in.

: $3.99
: $27.99
: $4.99
: $32.99
: $3.99
: Free
(prayers): $0.99
: $0.99

I’ve been using the on my iPhone for a while now and noticed that they’re now adding antiphons and even some songs.

This was an initial drawback but I think it was just a matter of time before they developed the app further.

So, if you don’t have your breviary or don’t want to travel with it then you might want to get this app on your iPhone! Since it also includes the Mass readings for the day, it’s very handy to use during Mass or if you can’t make it but want to read that day’s readings.

To listen to our “mainstream” media you’d think the world is in some sort of crisis at every moment and in every way possible. I think the word crisis has got to be one of the most overused words in the last couple years. People I know who spend way too much time focusing on every word from the mouths of cable news channel anchors who know absolutely nothing about what they’re talking about (just trying to fill time) seem to be developing a heightened sense of fear. I’m not going to get into what that can do to a person’s decision making much less to society as a whole.

I’d rather focus on something positive like telling these people to turn the tv off and say some prayers. I know people who have been laid off recently or are working for a company that is discussing cut backs. Some are very nervous. Some are not too worried about it. I’ll bet these latter ones have a more developed interior and prayer life. So I thought I’d offer one of my favorite prayers for times of uncertainty and worry. This comes from a prayer card I have for a priest I knew when I was younger. I’m not sure of the source of it. If you know, please feel free to comment.

“He’s got the whole world in His Hands.”
And now, Lord, You have my problems:
My seemingly insoluble problems
Which I have been worrying over incessantly,
My own million-dollar, 24-carat problems,
And I leave them with You.
If You can keep the earth revolving,
If You can keep the galaxies in place,
If You can supervise creation,
I guess You can manage My problems.
They’re yours now, Lord,
These million-dollar problems.
My task is not to worry now.
I’ve got to trust You, believe You, Love you,
And not interfere with Your resolution
Of what Once were
My problems.
Thank You, Lord.

Hey iPhone lovers. There’s an app for the phone (and iPod touch) that you may want to get. It’s the iBreviary. I’ve got it thanks to Chelsea pointing it out to me.

She found out about it on American Papist. You can also read about it on Cath News:

The Vatican Council for Social Communications has approved an iBreviary application created by Italian priest Fr Paolo Padrini for the iPhone.

“That’s cool, but what really sets this application apart from all others in the AppStore is that it’s the first app with approval of the Vatican!” Infomobile says.
“As with almost any iPhone app, iBreviary is easy to use, sporting iPhone like user interface. In addition, size of the characters can be increased, landscape mode is supported (using accelerometer) and much more.

As Catholics we must always have a joyful awareness that this life, as beautiful as it may be, is not our ultimate end. Though we fight for truth and freedom in our beloved country, it remains but an earthly dwelling place, a temporary homeland where we must prepare ourselves for the greater Home that awaits us:

I know the country I am living in is not really my true fatherland, and there is another I must long for without ceasing. This is not simply a story invented by someone living in the sad country where I am, but it is a reality, for the King of the Fatherland of the bright sun actually came and lived for thirty-three years in the land of darkness. (Story of a Soul, Manuscript C)

Heaven. Resurrection. Eternal Life. What we believe, what we hope for, is not merely some lofty philosophical ideal or the fantasy of uneducated simpletons. It is truth, Divinely revealed and able to be known through human reason (CCC 156-59.) I love this little dialogue at the end of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov:

“Karamazov!” cried Kolya, “can it really be true as religion says, that we shall all rise from the dead, and come to life, and see one another again, and everyone, and Ilyushecka?”

“Certainly we shall rise, certainly we shall see and gladly, joyfully tell one another all that has been,” Alyosha relied, half laughing, half in ecstasy.

“Ah, how good that will be!” burst from Kolya.

How good that will be, indeed! As this month for All Souls comes to an end let us pray for all the faithful departed: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Now we begin that great season of hope where we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord when truth and justice will reign for all eternity.

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the end of the Mt. Carmel Novena:
Ninth Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

For more information on Our Lady of Mt. Carmel listen to this “Saint of the Day” podcast for July 16.

Eighth Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Seventh Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Sixth Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Fifth Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Fourth Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.