PathToHoliness

This is the side altar at the St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati, OH. It was a short walk from my hotel while I was in town.

I got to attend daily Mass there for a couple days recently. You can go on a virtual tour of the Cathedral here.

I get to be home for a whole week this week and attending my own parish church which will be nice. This Labor Day weekend is providing an opportunity to get caught up on some things and spend some time with family.

Traveling a lot is certainly not as glamorous as some people would like to believe. For one thing, it makes it more difficult to go to daily Mass although I do fairly well. When you’re attending an event, especially a convention and trade show I find that most people are focused on business and daily devotions aren’t given much thought. That’s why I think it’s especially important to make sure to attend to them. Missing part of a breakfast or seminar is a small price to pay to spend some time with our Lord in church.

Today we celebrated the feast of the mother of one of the Church’s most celebrated saints. St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine (whose feast day is tomorrow), prayed unceasingly for the conversion of her famous son, and, as we all know, was happily obliged by Our Lord. Not only that, but her husband, Patricius, a pagan with a terrible temper, converted to Christianity and was baptized a year before his death thanks to her prayers as well. She is a wonderful example for married couples and parents who are called to care above all for the spiritual well being of their spouse and children. I believe that it was not only her prayers, but also her example as a pious Christian woman that also won over her husband and son. This passage from 1 Peter makes me think of St. Monica and the example that all married women should give:

Likewise, you wives should be subordinate to your husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct when they observe your reverent and chaste behavior. Your adornment should not be an external one: braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3:1-5

She is also an example to all of us of our call to persevere in prayer. The conversion of St. Augustine did not happen overnight. It was a long, turbulent journey (20 years or more) during which the reluctant saint fell in and out of serious sin and his mother deeper and deeper into a conversation with Christ on behalf of her son, storming the gates of heaven with her constant tears and prayer. In the end this great mother witnessed the baptism of one of our greatest saints and spent the last days of her life reflecting with him and longing for the joys of heaven:

“Son, as far as I am concerned, nothing in this life now gives me any pleasure. I do not know why I am still here, since I have no further hopes in this world. I did have one reason for wanting to live a little longer: to see you become a Catholic Christian before I died. God has lavished his gifts on me in that respect, for I know that you have renounced earthly happiness to be his servant. So what am I doing here?”
from St. Augustine’s Confessions

Her final request was that her son, who became a priest and bishop, remember her “at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be.”

Opus Dei is often seen as a way of sanctifying one’s work – which it is. But it’s not just about professional work. It’s about raising up every aspect of daily life to the level of prayer and union with God. As children of God, we must act like His children, even in the most ordinary aspects of our daily life:

Heaven and earth seem to merge, my daughters and sons, on the horizon. But where they really meet is in your heart, when you strive for holiness in your everyday lives.
~St.

http://www.gaelnet.de/wp-content/themes/twentyten/best-essay.html

Josemaria Escriva, from Passionately Loving the World, Oct. 8, 1967

On his blog, Human Life Matters, Mark Pickup has a beautiful post about how those of us with disabilities, though we may not “work”, can still contribute to society and benefit from Opus Dei:

I have been unable to work in years because of multiple sclerosis. Still, I believe that even my circumstances of everyday life — relegated to a wheelchair — can be fertile ground for growing closer to God…

We, the incurably ill and disabled, are not life unworthy of life. We have contributions to bring to the table of the Human Community, even if it is only by our presence.

We can challenge society to include those who may difficult to include, or those who bring discomfort to sophisticated or polite company. We call those around us to a higher standard of love and friendship. We can knock at the door of mainstream society and demand admission and reasonable accommodation so that we can find our rightful places in the world. If the disabled and incurably ill despair of life, we need people to lift us up as indispensable members of society and worthy of life. We do not need the abandonment of a utilitarian society eagerly agreeing to assist with our suicides, or euthanasia of those who can’t communicate to defend themselves.

Contrary to what bioethics may promote, our rightful places in the world are not graves or crematoriums.

A man like me is increasingly viewed as a liability to society. I need an organization like Opus Dei to encourage and mentor me to use my circumstances of everyday life for “growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. My father has been a cooperator of Opus Dei for a number of years and my mother and I enjoy the women’s retreats every year. I adore the message and spirituality of Opus Dei – holiness in ordinary life. It has been a great blessing and help for me in living out the daily struggles of my own disability, not to mention every other part of my everyday life:

It doesn’t matter what age you are; it doesn’t matter what your position is or what your circumstances are or who you are: you have to convince yourself, commit yourself, and desire holiness. You well know that holiness does not consist in extraordinary graces received in prayer, or unbearable mortification and penance; nor is it the inheritance only of those who live in lonely oasis, far from the world. Holiness consists in faithful and loving fulfillment of one’s desires, in joyful and humble acceptance of God’s will, in union with him in your everyday work, in knowing how to fuse religion and life into a fruitful and harmonious unity, and in all sorts of other ordinary little things you know so well.
~ Fr. Salvatore Canals from Jesus as Friend

Find out more about Opus Dei

What a wonderful feast day! This is always a very special one for me because it is the day I renew my Total Consecration to Mary. It is a private devotion based on St. Louis DeMontfort’s True Devotion that I like to encourage others to practice because, as DeMontfort and many of the Saints have testified to over the years, devotion to the Blessed Virgin is the most perfect and easy way to grow closer to Christ. As a priest in our Diocese puts it (I have mentioned this before) “2,000 years ago Mary brought Jesus into the world, now she desires to bring him into our hearts.” For anyone interested in Total Consecration, this website offers a very thorough explanation of how to proceed. It includes links to all readings and prayers so that ordering books is not necessary. The next “consecration day” is the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, with preparation beginning on Nov. 5.

Read more on the Assumption
See what the Father’s had to say about the end of Mary’s life

Preparation for Total Consecration book

I sure seem to be getting to go to Mass at a lot of Cathedrals lately. Today it was at home at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Jefferson City, MO.

Last week it was here at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, MN. I wound up at a hotel right across the highway from it. This picture was on my way to 7:30am Mass one day last week. It’s a beautiful church and reminds me of many I’ve visited in Rome.

I’ll be on the road again this week and featuring a church or two I’m sure. The challenge is finding the time to post but I’ll get more done I promise.

I have been saying the morning offering every morning for quite some time and it never really hit me until just recently that through that prayer we offer to Jesus not only our daily work and sufferings – something that seems pretty common for us to offer – but we also offer our JOYS:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.

It seems to me that this is something that is often overlooked. It is easy to think of the Lord in times of trouble or sorrow, and we should, in those times unite our sufferings to Jesus on the cross. But Christ wants to share in every part of our lives, that includes our joys! The next time things are going well, or you are enjoying a particularly peaceful or happy moment with friends, family, or even alone in nature, think of Our Lord, thank Him and ask Him to enjoy that moment with you. For without Him, that moment would not be possible!

While I was in Louisville, KY last week I got to attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Assumption.

This is a beautiful Church although they only had chairs inside and a whole section didn’t have kneelers.

Maybe they’re getting new pews?

This road tripping sure allows me an opportunity to see some great churches.

This one is on the national register of historic places.

They have a wonderful organ and I guess a good choir too.

You can listen to the “Cantate Domino” by the Cathedral Choir using this link.

After expressing my favorable view of the Harry Potter novels recently on my blog I was asked by one reader why my view on the subject is so “contradictory to others who are so Catholic and so pro-life.” She specifically pointed out the view of Pope Benedict who, while still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, wrote a letter to Gabriele Kuby regarding her book, Harry Potter – good or evil, explaining the damage HP does to our young children, saying:

“It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.”

This came right around the same time a Vatican document was published on New Age phenomenon and one of its contributers, Father Don Peter Fleetwood, when questioned about HP said:

“I don’t see any problem in the Harry Potter series. They aren’t bad. If I have understood well the intentions of Harry Potter’s author, they help children to see the difference between good and evil.”

Both of these statements were made in 2003 and, as far as I know no further statements from anywhere in the Vatican have been made and there is no official Catholic position on whether the HP books are good, bad or indifferent. Quite the contrary. There doesn’t even appear to be a general consensus on the matter. With regard to Harry Potter the Catholic world seems pretty split. For example, based on the links offered on Life Site News’ website, they have a very unfavorable opinion of the books. Whereas Our Sunday Visitor has published a book by Nancy Brown, The Mystery of Harry Potter, designed to “help guide your family through a fully enjoyable, and even educational, experience of Harry Potter.”

Other note-worthy Catholic figures differ in opinion. In 2002, Father Gabriele Amorth, the Pope’s chief exorcist warned that, “Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil” (Catholic League’s Bill Donohue recently responded). I have already mentioned Gabriele Kuby and her book – she also has an article on LSN: Ten Arguments Against Harry Potter. Author Michael O’Brien has written extensively warning of the cultural impact of the novels, here are a few interviews from Zenit.

Meanwhile, master Catholic blogger, Mark Shea is a constant defender of the series. In his review of The Mystery of Harry Potter he calls HP the greatest Christian fantasy epic of our generation. Even Amy Welborn, another well known Catholic author and blogger, who doesn’t appear to be a big fan of the books, insists that there is nothing wrong with them:

[c]oncerned parent, just relax. The Harry Potter books are far better than ninety percent of contemporary children’s literature, and I think all of us should be deeply grateful to J.K. Rowling for the gift she’s given our children, which goes beyond the books themselves, to the rediscovery of the pleasure of reading.

I was surprised to learn that Cardinal George Pell of Australia has read and enjoys Harry Potter saying: “The Harry Potter series are brilliantly written children’s books, which many adults enjoy.”

Obviously opponents have serious concerns about the magic being used in the novels – that it can lead children into an interest in the occult and away from faith in God. So what do supporters have to say about the witchcraft and wizardry? Many of us see it as a backdrop to the greater story of the lives of the characters. It’s even portrayed as more of a talent that some children are born with and some aren’t, and those who are must study to learn how to control their power and use it wisely. Amy Welborn also suggests that magic is often a metaphor in novels:

It’s a metaphor for personal power. Stories in which children must deal with magic are really about the discovery of one’s own gifts, talents and capability to use one’s life for either good or evil.

Still concerned about the magic? It’s a legitimate concern, especially with regards to young readers. Both Welborn and Brown suggest explaining to children that Rowling doesn’t believe in magic, dragons and spells herself, but has simply used her imagination to come up with a creative story. Also explain, as I just pointed out, that in the story magic is a natural born talent. One cannot just start casting spells and “become” magical. It is also worth noting that the “spells” in Harry Potter are really just Latin words and many of the “potions” consist of non-existent, mythical ingredients like Acromantula venom, Erumpent parts and unicorn blood. In other words, we’re not talking about real sorcery that would or could be condemned Biblically.

As you can see Catholics have far from resolved the HP debate. That is why, as with all things, it is up to parents to discern and pay attention to what their children are reading. It is good for parents to read these books (and others) before giving them to children – even reading with them – and offering guidance along the way (yes, there are good things in HP that can be pointed out to children, you can find some of them here and in the books below). Brown has many suggestions for parents in her book, here is an excerpt).

Despite popular belief most of the books are not appropriate for very young readers, so Brown offers this age guide:

“Sorcerer’s Stone”: 7-11 to adult
“Chamber of Secrets”: 8-11 to adult
“Prisoner of Azkaban”: 9-11 to adult
“Goblet of Fire”: 10-12 to adult
“Order of the Phoenix”: 10-13 to adult
“Half-Blood Prince”: 11-14 to adult
“Deathly Hallows”: 12-14 to adult

Bottom line: the books are not bad or evil in and of themselves, parents can, in good conscience, allow their children read HP, as they see fit, but are by no means obligated to do so – bear in mind other children’s books can have their own problems and should be approached with the same concern and consideration. Parents just need to keep an eye on their children – what they’re reading, watching, playing or doing, take an active role in their entertainment and look for signs that they may be being lead astray, whether by HP or something else.

Other links (many of these contain spoilers):
This is a great in depth look at the end of the series
Nancy Brown’s Blog
Brown’s thoughts on Deathly Hallows
A discussion on marriage at Nancy Brown’s blog
Catholic perspective can be seen in Potter series, says priest-devotee

Books:
The Mystery of Harry Potter
Looking for God in Harry Potter
The Gospel According to Harry Potter
God, the Devil and Harry Potter

Today is the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne (my patron saint), believed to be the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Magnificat book today suggests that this memorial “gives reason to rejoice in the gift of family life and to reflect on the mutual responsibility parents and children have to love one another and lead one another to holiness.” This is the meaning of true marriage and family vocations. In his forward to Christopher West’s book, Good News About Sex and Marriage Archbishop Chaput says that the “most fundamental vocations crisis of all” is marriage and family life. With the divorce rate among Catholics equal to the national average, it is obvious we have a problem on our hands.

Today as we celebrate this very holy couple, blessed to be the parents of the Mother of God, let us pray for greater, and stronger, marriage and family vocations, from which, no doubt, will come more priestly and religious vocations! Let us also thank God for those holy couples and families that exist today, helping to strengthen the Church and society.

American Life League‘s Celebrate Life Magazine has an article about the star of the movie Bella, which is set to be released this fall. Eduardo Verastegui began his career as a model and soap opera actor in Mexico City and soon set his sights on Hollywood. But after a while he realized that something was missing in his life:

“I wasn’t happy,” Eduardo said. “I was impatient. I had been all over the world. I had money. I had fame. I had everything I wanted, so I had to ask, ‘How come I feel empty?’…I realized that the reason I wanted to be an actor was superficial; fame, money, power, lifestyle, women—the whole thing. I realized that I was poisoning society. So I went through a change of heart.”

That change led him back to his Catholic faith that he had not practiced in years. After discerning a priestly vocation, a spiritual director suggested that his talents and influence would best be put to use back in Hollywood. Embracing this vocation he decided he would do it under one condition: “I won’t do anything that will offend God. Period.”

This is not very easily done in Tinseltown, where immodesty is the name of the game, but Eduardo is determined:

“When you kill somebody in the movies, you’re not killing anyone. But when you kiss someone, it’s really a kiss,” Eduardo stressed. “In sex scenes, you’re really half naked. So I would recommend that people be careful, because you are working with fire and you’re gonna get burned. Don’t risk yourself for some role. I know because I did it. And I’m telling you, 12 years of that was nothing but emptiness, pain and suffering.” Eduardo described sex scenes as what they are: “legal adultery.” And because a kiss is sacred, he vows to kiss no woman unless she’s his wife.

“Every single person hardcore Catholics, told me I wouldn’t work,” Eduardo admitted. “So if changing my path to follow Christ means that I will never work, thanks be to God. I’m free, because you know what? I wasn’t born to be a movie star. I was born to be a saint, just like you. And this is not going to get in my way. Or God will make it happen in a way that I don’t have to compromise.”

Hopefully his devotion will rub off on others in Hollywood or at least help inspire those who view his movies. And what about this movie, Bella? It has gotten quite a buzz among pro-lifers. It is about a waitress who learns she’s pregnant and the chef (played by Verastegui) who comes to her rescue. It is supposed to be incredibly powerful.

To help get Bella in your hometown theater, see www.BellaTheMovie.com, email contact@MetanoiaFilms.com and call 888-474-6025.

Here’s where I got to attend daily Mass this week while I was in Denver attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. It’s Holy Ghost Church and is being run by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary.

It’s in the shadow of a big office building off 19th street and about a 10 minute walk from the hotel I was staying in. After Mass they have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with the rosary led by the priest who is on his knees in front of the Altar. Very nice. I wish more churches would do this. It’s only about 20 minutes but time well spent.

With all the cafeteria Catholics in America picking and choosing which teachings acceptably correspond with their lifestyle, showing support for our Holy Father and all of the teachings of Holy Mother Church is imperative! Get your bumper sticker (shown above) at the Papal Shop. I am going to try to see if our Legion of Mary can make a bunch of these available in our parish.

Hat tip: The Catholic Knight

I must apologize. I was having server problems yesterday, so I was not able to post the final novena prayer. I tried to keep it going all nine days, but I ran into circumstances beyond my control yesterday. My humble apologies to all.

Ninth Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Today is the 10th anniversary of the death of our Carmelite sisters’ beloved “Little Mother,” the founder of the Carmelite monastery in my hometown of Jefferson City Missouri. She died during the celebration of Holy Mass on the last day of the novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, their holy patroness. I never knew who she was, but, after the car accident that left me paralyzed, the good sisters blessed me with Little Mother’s personal scapular (not the big brown habit one) to wear in the hope of obtaining the miracle of my being able to walk again. I wore the scapular for quite a while, but it began to wear down and come apart a little bit, so I decided I should probably take it off for fear of completely ruining it. But I keep it as a reminder of the sisters’ belief in the healing power of God and the holiness of this blessed Little Mother.

May her soul and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. And, if it be in accordance with the will of God, may the holiness of her life be made known to the world.

I use Mass Times frequently when I’m traveling. It’s always been a great tool. I can’t imagine how they keep it up to date. Just this morning I was using it and notice this letter seeking financial support. I recommend helping them out.

May the Dear Lord bless all of you for your support. Mass Times Trust has switched from a seasonal campaign to a two days a week campaign. First of all please keep us in your prayers.

Please join us and help us so that we can work together and pray together and entrust this new evangelization to the Virgin Mary that as Pope Benedict says, “… She may teach us to love Jesus ever more, in constant meditation of His Word and adoration of His Eucharistic presence, and help us …discover the ‘precious pearl’ of the Eucharist, which gives true and full meaning to life.”

God Bless!
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