PathToHoliness

I just got back from another busy Fourth of July. Every year I help set up a pro-life table at our downtown 4th of July festivities with a woman from my parish and a number of the home schooled kids in my area. This year, as president of our Legion of Mary praesidia, I decided to do a Catholic information table with some help from the Knights of Columbus. Everything worked out well, as it always does. We gave out lots of good information to the people who needed to see it. I hope to get my pictures up tomorrow – I’m pooped right now! I’m actually in bed getting ready to call it a night. We were set up downtown from about 11am to 7pm and I was there for the whole thing. It was very warm and very tiring for me! I hope everyone had a very blessed holiday! Here’s a great poem that I posted on my blog earlier today:

I Am An American

I am endowed by my Creator
With the inalienable right to life
Just like you, and every other American.
You know who I am.
Now that you can see my face,
Will you use your voice?
Please tell America,
I am an American, too.

America, it’s time to protect your children again.

That is a poem I have on one of my pro-life t-shirts and it fits very nicely with the 4th of July. As we celebrate our freedom this Independence Day we would do well to remember the millions of Americans whose freedom has been taken away in this country and pray for its restoration.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Happy 4th of July!
God Bless you all!

The PEW Research Center has new survey results out that show that most Americans have moved children to number 8 on the list (was #3 in 1990) of things people associate with a “successful marriage.” This is seriously sad and I’m sure a result of a society that has so devalued faith and life. So what are the top things on the list? “sharing household chores,” “good housing,” “adequate income,” “happy sexual relationship,” and “faithfulness.” The new Pew survey also finds that, by a margin of nearly three-to-one, Americans say that the main purpose of marriage is the “mutual happiness and fulfillment” of adults rather than the “bearing and raising of children.”

What’s interesting to note though is how important children still are in a marriage when a different question is asked.

Asked to weigh how important various aspects of their lives are to their personal happiness and fulfillment, parents in this survey place their relationships with their children on a pedestal rivaled only by their relationships with their spouses – and far above their relationships with their parents, friends, or their jobs or career. This is true both for married and unmarried parents. In fact, relatively speaking, children are most pre-eminent in the lives of unwed parents.

I think it’s also interesting to note that they only bring religion into the survey by asking the participants what church they belong to and calling that “religiosity.” No where do they get into matters of faith and belief and relate that to these questions.

Today is the feast of the first martyrs in Rome. These are the martyrs who suffered death under the emperor Nero after the burning of Rome. Their blood helped build the early Church. On this feast day let us pray for those who are still being martyred in all parts of the world. Here is a video about Christians in Palestine who are heavily persecuted for their faith:

But even we, here in America, face a different kind of persecution. We are very often ridiculed for our deeply held convictions which causes many of the faithful to reject those beliefs altogether. It is not popular to be Catholic in the western world today. We are a target for criticism, hatred and any sort of mockery under the sun. So let us pray to those first martyrs in Rome to obtain for us the strength to face this current persecution with the same grace, faith and hope in the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Whether we are being tortured and killed in Palestine or ridiculed and marginalized in America, may our faithfulness and humility win for our Lord the heart and soul of even the most ruthless sinners.

We didn’t have a special feast day Mass here locally on June 26 but they sure did in Sacré Coeur of Bucharest on June 9, 2007. D. Alberto Steinvorth and a Catholic priest from Buzau, P. Pavel con-celebrated.

The St. Josemaria Institute is collecting pictures from various celebrations and says they’ll be posting them on their website soon.

Earlier this month I told you that it has been long rumored that Tony Blair was on the way to becoming Catholic. In a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, he and the pontiff shared a “frank exchange” on “particularly delicate subjects” – which probably refers to the delicate subject of Blair’s support for abortion, gay adoption, same-sex marriage and stem-cell research. After that meeting, during the Angelus the Pope mentioned a need for “true conversion,” stating:

“Today, as the Church celebrates the birth of St John the Baptist, let us ask for the gift of true conversion and growth in holiness, so that our lives will prepare a way for the Lord and hasten the coming of His Kingdom.”

True conversion is not simply switching from one church to another, but changing one’s entire being – abandoning oneself to the will of the Heavenly Father and striving for holiness. Who knows what Tony Blair’s reasons for possibly converting actually are, regardless, we should pray that he will soon have a change of heart and soul which will lead him to love an appreciate the Church and all of her teachings, especially regarding human life.

Today’s Gospel reading, a continuation of yesterday’s, goes into further detail about the importance of forgiveness and loving our enemies:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:43-48)

The priest at Mass today offered some great words about loving our enemies. First he pointed out that love is not a feeling, it is a decision – it is not an act of emotion but an act of the will. We don’t have to feel good about our enemies, we don’t have to like them, per se, but we should always will them good.

Next he reminded us that we love our enemies not because we excuse or approve of their evil deeds, but because of what they can become. Even our enemies can become saints and we should never give up on them. We see this especially in the example of St. Stephen and St. Paul. As St. Stephen was being stoned to death, under the supervision of St. Paul (Saul, at the time), he cried out with love for his persecutors, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Later we know that Saul was converted and became a great preacher and example of the Gospel.

In the example I provided yesterday of St. Maria Goretti, during the 20 hours she suffered after being attacked she forgave and prayed for Alessandro. After seeing a vision of her in his jail cell he converted and, when released, took up residence in a Capuchin monastery and worked in its garden.

This is why we love and forgive our enemies. As children of a loving God, everyone has the potential to become a saint, which we should always support and encourage.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.

Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew (5:38-42) reminds us of our call to forgiveness and to love our enemies. This message is particularly important for us today in light of recent events, such as the gruesome discovery of 18 year old Kelsey Smith’s body after she was abducted in a Target parking lot. I remember vividly when I was living in Florida last year, which seems to be the child abduction capitol of the world, a press conference with the mother of an abducted and murdered child addressing her daughters murderer. My heart ached as I listened to this beautiful heartbroken woman spew words of venomous hatred at her enemy to the point that she even wished him eternal damnation. I was sad not only for the terrible loss of her child, but also for the loss of love and forgiveness within her heart.

Forgiveness is difficult, to say the least, especially when we have been wronged in the most painful sort of way. But the gate that we must pass through is narrow, it is difficult, it is painful, but with Our Lord it is possible. In these difficult situations I always think of St. Maria Goretti who, after having been stabbed to the point of death by a family friend who wished to rape her, when asked if she forgave her attacker, replied:

“Yes! Yes!” she replied, “For the love of Jesus, I forgive him, and I want him to be with me one day in heaven!”

After getting out of jail, Alessandro Serenelli, her murderer, fled to Maria’s mother, Assunta, begging her forgiveness, which she readily gave him. The two even attended Christmas Mass together, receiving communion side by side. More recent examples of extraordinary forgiveness include:
-JPII’s visit to Mehmet Ali Agca’s jail cell after he attempted to kill the late pontiff
-A Somalian nun offering forgiveness to her killers in her dying breaths
-A Pennsylvanian Amish community forgiving the man who held a number of Amish schoolgirls hostage, killing 5

These stories show us that forgiveness is possible if we open our hearts to compassion. Compassion, rooted in prayer, allows us to see others in the light of Christ – to realize that “the God who loves you unconditionally loves all of your fellow human beings” without exception (Henri Nouwen). This means that everyone, even the most hardened criminal, is worthy of our love and forgiveness, even if they do not accept it.

Very late blessings to all you Fathers out there! Fathers are often the forgotten heroes of the American family, yet none would be complete without them. Thank you for all of the hard work you do to support, protect and be an example to your children and grandchildren. A special thank you to God our Almighty Father and all of our priests and spiritual fathers everywhere!

A Father’s Day Prayer
by Gaynell Bordes Cronin

Thank you, friend Jesus,
for my father who loves me,
for my grandfather who cares for me,
and for God, your father and mine,
who made me and is always with me.

How lucky I am!

The end of this week we celebrate the feasts of the two holy hearts, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (yesterday) and today’s feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.
I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Amen.

. — St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Solemn Act of Consecration to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary

Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.

Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.

O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.

We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home.

Amen.

–Venerable Pope Pius XII

“In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
~promise of the Blessed Virgin at Fatima

I’ve been a little out of the pro-life loop lately it seems because I’ve been car shopping for probably the last month and a half. I finally narrowed all my options down and really picked a car a few weeks ago, but didn’t really suck it up and seriously go after the car I wanted until last week. My mother and I drove to St. Louis last Thursday to finally buy my car (I finally got my hand controls in it yesterday)! I have wanted a Solara since a good friend of mine, who is also in a wheelchair, got one a few years ago and I was able to find one, a 2006, within my budget! Here it is:

My spiritual director suggested that I pray to St. Raphael for guidance and intercession while I was looking for a car because he is the patron of travelers. This is due to his travels with Tobit in the Old Testament. So I did. I prayed very much because I did not want to make a bad decision. Buying a car is such a big deal! It’s a lot of money! I also wanted to make sure I wasn’t being too vain in my decision, especially since I was looking for what many consider a very nice car. So I prayed and prayed and was able to get the car I wanted at the price I wanted with relatively little hassle, well except for having to drive to St. Louis, for which I also owe my mother a very big thank you! God takes care of us when we do all things with prayer!

Happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.” (Matt. 22:26-29)

It has been rumored that Prime Minister Tony Blair may convert to Catholicism after he leaves office. His wife is reported to be a devout Catholic and his upcoming visit with Pope Benedict days before he leaves office on June 27 has fueled speculations of his conversion. Now there is speculation that he may also become a deacon after he is received into the Church.

Interesting…

Canada’s Opus Dei Vicar Msgr. Fred Dolan shares his vocation story with Canadian Catholic News:

On Dec. 5, 1975, Dolan had what he calls his “Road to Damascus” experience. Working on a paper on Gulliver’s Travels, he decided to take a study break. He went over to the center’s book shelf and took down C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. A friend had told him about scene depicting a lizard on a man’s shoulder arguing with his guardian angel on the other. He found it immediately.

“The Holy Spirit used the pages of C.S. Lewis to zap me,” Msgr. Dolan said. Instantly he saw two paths open up before him.

The path of a “numerary,” Opus Dei’s term for members committed to lifelong celibacy, promised “enormous happiness and fruitfulness.”

The other path – that of marriage and a family – also opened up and he saw he could choose it with no problem. He realized instantly, however, the celibate path “was what God wanted” for him…

He’s never experienced any doubt that he made the right decision and remains “grateful” for a “powerful sense I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

“If you give the Holy Spirit ‘carte blanche,’ you just fasten your seat belt and hold on for the ride,” he said. “It’s always pretty good.”

He also said Opus Dei’s support through excellent spiritual direction and the stress on the Sacrament of Penance helps keep any attacks of doubt or conflict at bay. “Nothing gets beyond the level of a brief skirmish,” he said.

Born in 1952, Dolan grew up in Bethesda, Md., as the oldest of six children in a family that took the Catholic faith seriously. His father attended mass daily and his mother converted as a teenager. Dolan said at age 16 he “met Opus Dei just at the right time” through his best friend…

Opus Dei gave him input on how to make his life complete, he said. It helped him develop a disciplined prayer life, take a professional attitude towards his studies, and “aim high in everything I do.”

Pope John Paul II ordained Dolan in 1983 at St. Peter’s in Rome…

Opus Dei celebrates its 50th anniversary of coming to Canada this June, and next year, Msgr. Dolan will celebrate his 10th anniversary here.

I love this part of the article. It’s very typical of an Opus Dei priest:

Msgr. Dolan always wears his clerical collar. In fact, when he was interviewed by CBC Television’s Evan Solomon last year during the height of “The Da Vinci Code” movie controversy, he showed his empty closet, bare except for a few black shirts and slacks off the sparely furnished bedroom bed at his residence in Montreal.

He said the clerical garb signals to others, “I exist for you. How can I serve you?”

“It pays to advertise,” he said, smiling. He often has people coming up to him, asking for prayer. He now makes a practice of going to the train station or the airport at least an hour early so people can approach them. “If priests are invisible, that shuts down,” he said.

It was 63 years ago today that Allied forces lead a massive attack on the German stronghold in Normandy France. For some years now I always make sure to take time on this day to remember the men involved in this invasion on both sides, living and deceased. I have already told you that I have a soft spot in my heart for our combat veterans and this war, this attack, always seem to stick out in my mind the most. I think that must be because I was so affected by movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers and have spent a good amount of time looking into the history of them, especially from the soldier’s perspective – I am a sucker for war stories. It was an incredible invasion the likes of which we have not seen in recent history.

After such a devastating world wide military conflict, it is disappointing – to say the least – that we have not found a way to solve major conflicts without going to war. But our Lord tells us this will happen:

You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place. All these are the beginning of the labor pains. (Mt. 24:6-8)

So why does this happen? Why do such seemingly unresolvable conflicts continue to arise, leading us into war? After thinking much about it, it appears to me the answer is sin. Sin is a moral evil which separates us from God and therefore from true and lasting peace. Fallen by nature, man is subject to temptation and sin. As sins continue, conflicts increase and war, because of our nature, is inevitable. But, as the Lord says, we should not be alarmed for:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Mt. 24:29-31)

Until that day we pray and work for peace, for the conversion of sinners. We pray for those who have seen war, for those who have died in war and those who are in the midst of war today. And we hope for the coming of the Lord.

That’s what I think anyway.

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt.24:34-37)

From Zenit:

The new priests come from Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, Colombia, Italy, the Philippines, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, France, Congo, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya and Guatemala.

During the Mass, Bishop Echevarría offered the new priests some advice from Opus Dei’s founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá: “We priests must only speak of God. We will not speak of politics, or social ideologies or questions extraneous to the priestly task. In this way, we will make the Holy Church and the Roman Pontiff loved.”

Brian Maguire, an American who flew to Rome to attend the event, said: “Many Americans are understandably discouraged by the so-called vocations crisis here at home. They should go to Rome. There’s no doubt that God is renewing the Church from its heart in Rome.

“Saturday’s ordinations showed not only that many young men are responding to this call, but that they are doing so generously and enthusiastically when it’s presented to them as a lifelong surrender of self for others.”