Buffalo Catholic

Give Us This Day

2012-02-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

I am starting a new experiment today. I picked up a free sample of a new monthly Catholic daily prayer publication, Our Daily Bread, and have decided to use it for a month and see if I like it. Our Daily Bread is a product of Liturgical Press in Collegeville, MN. Based upon some early reviews that I found online (see http://datinggod.org/tag/give-us-this-day/ and http://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2011/01/28/give-us-this-day-new-from-liturgical-press/), it appears that it is well-received thus far.

At first glance, Our Daily Bread is strikingly similar to Magnificat, a more well-known Catholic daily prayer publication. I had a subscription to Magnificat a few years ago, and generally enjoyed using it, but after they failed to timely process my renewal, leaving me "high and dry" for a couple of weeks at daily Mass, I decided to invest in a two volume Weekday Lectionary set from St. Joseph's Press. Since then, I have not seen a need for a daily prayer publication (since my primary use was for the Mass readings). Truthfully, I found that I did not miss the Magnificat much at all.

However, after the new translation of the Roman Missal took effect last November, my Lectionaries became somewhat out of date. Although the daily readings remain the same, the prayers in my two Lectionaries are based on the old translation. So, I frequently find myself wishing that I had copies of the newly translated prayers, particularly the opening and closing prayers for daily Mass, as well the prayers over the gifts.

Thus, when I saw free samples of the February 2012 edition of Our Daily Bread at a local Parish, I decided to grab one and give it a shot. I will let anyone who cares to check this blog know how my little "ex-prayer-iment" turns out. (Sorry, couldn't help myself!).

Oh, and, for what it's worth, I thought today's materials were excellent!

Happy Feast of St. Bridgid!

Praise God!

Third Annual "Pick-A-Saint"

2012-01-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

My family and I just finished our New Year's tradition of picking a companion Saint for the year from a jar filled with the names of various Saints and Blesseds.

This year, we again ended up with a diverse group of patrons to accompany us throughout the year. The results:

1. St. Rose of Lima
2. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
3. Blessed Pope John XXIII
4. The Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Praise God!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:59:00.002-05:00

O Heavenly Wisdom,
O Lord,
O Root of Jesse,
O Key of David,
O Dayspring,
O King of Nations,
O Emmanuel...
Welcome Lord Jesus, we love You!

Merry Christmas!

Praise God!!

Halloween Insanity

2011-10-25T06:50:00.007-04:00

Is it just me, or have people really started to go crazy with Halloween decorations? It seems that each year, the "decorations" that folks place outside their homes get more elaborate and more macabre.

Front lawns now spend the month of October covered with skeletons, demons, vampires and mock graveyards. Even gargantuan inflatable death trains are making an appearance. (Seriously- I saw a gargantuan inflatable death train, complete with a skeleton engineer, a gravestone and a vampire passenger, while I was out walking the dog the other night. Picture above.)

Call me a prude, but I find the increasingly elaborate displays disturbing... I simply do not remember seeing decorations like that in the past. Heck, when I was a kid, my mom used to put a plastic pumpkin decoration on the front door, and we thought it was cutting edge! Today, that pumpkin is pretty tame compared to the gruesome displays popping up around town. Another sign that our society is losing its way, I suppose.

Still, in all things: Praise God!!

A Sad Day

2011-06-25T09:23:00.004-04:00

The New York State Legislature passed legislation last night legalizing same sex "marriage" in New York State. Sadly, the passage of that legislation was made possible by votes from Roman Catholic politicians, even some from Buffalo. I am deeply saddened by the continued erosion of traditional morality in our society today.

I do not think I can state my position (or disappointment) regarding this matter much better than the New York Catholic Bishops did before and after yesterday's voting in the NY Senate:

BEFORE

The Bishops of New York State oppose in the strongest possible terms any attempt to redefine the sacred institution of marriage. The matter of religious exemptions has been and continues to be a secondary issue that in no way negates the fact that this bill is bad for society. We urge all Senators to vote no on Governor Cuomo’s bill. Marriage has always been, is now, and always will be the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong, life-giving union. Government does not have the authority to change this most basic of truths.

AFTER

The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.

We strongly uphold the Catholic Church’s clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths.

We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.

Our society must regain what it appears to have lost – a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America’s foundational principles.

+Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York
+Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop of Albany
+Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn
+Edward U. Kmiec, Bishop of Buffalo
+Terry R. LaValley, Bishop of Ogdensburg
+Matthew H. Clark, Bishop of Rochester
+William F. Murphy, Bishop of Rockville Centre
+Robert J. Cunningham, Bishop of Syracuse

A sad day, indeed...

Nonetheless: Praise God!

He and I

2011-05-09T23:02:00.021-04:00

I am currently reading a wonderful little book called He and I by Gabrielle Bossis. The book was published in 1969 and, other than a somewhat flaky introduction by the translator, it is an amazing and insightful work.

The book was translated from the diaries of Ms. Bossis, a French woman that lived in the mid-twentieth century and who had a unique experience of Christ that she chronicled in her diaries.

I especially enjoy reading from He and I at Eucharistic Adoration.

Anyway, I wanted to post this quote, which struck me the other day as quite inspirational:

Give Me everything with your will firmly intent on pleasing Me. How astonished you will be when you discover your treasures. It takes only tiny little stones to make flowers in magnificent mosaic floorings.

I just love the idea that even our smallest actions, when made with the intent to please God, can be turned into something magnificent!

Praise God!!

Second Annual "Pick-a-Saint"

2011-01-02T10:42:00.004-05:00

My family held its second annual "Pick-a-Saint" event yesterday. "Pick-a-Saint" is a bit of a misnomer, I think, because it is actually the Saint that picks the person... Be that as it may, the results this year are as follows:

1. Our Lady, as the Immaculate Conception;
2. St. Abraham, the Patriarch;
3. St. Luke, the Evangelist; and
4. St. Gertrude.

Yet again, Heaven saw fit to send some "Big Guns" to assist my little family. We look forward to getting to know each of those Saints better this year!

Happy New Year to all!

Praise God!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T07:29:00.005-05:00

...And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:9-12).

A very blessed and merry Christmas to all who visit this Blog. May the joy that comes with the Christ-child be born in your heart this year!

Our Prescient Pope

2010-10-15T14:20:00.007-04:00

Recently, Dr. Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican magazine (a unique and informative publication regarding the various goings-on in the universal church), sent out an e-mail that contained the text of a lecture given by Pope Benedict XVI (then simply Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) at Cambridge University in 1988.

The title of that 1988 lecture was “Consumer Materialism and Christian Hope” and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the thought of our dear Pope. For the purpose of this blog entry, however, I just wanted to post a quote from the lecture that struck me as particularly relevant today.

Regarding the “moral imperative” (i.e., the natural law, or that principle inside all of us that compels us to act rightly, and which we so often ignore!), he stated:

… the moral imperative is not man’s imprisonment from which he must make his escape in order to finally be able to do as he wants. The moral imperative constitute’s man’s dignity and if he gets rid of it he does not become freer. Rather, he has stepped back into the world of mere devices, of things. If there is no longer an imperative to which he can and should respond in freedom, then actually there is no range for freedom anymore.… Morality is not man’s prison; it is rather the divine in him.

(Emphasis mine).

Amen! Praise God!

Theophilos

2010-08-17T07:08:00.010-04:00

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and minsters of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilos, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed." (Luke 1:1-4)

Those words, which begin the Gospel According to Luke, also act as the springboard for the imagination of Canadian author and artist, Michael D. O'Brien, for his recent novel Theophilos, a fictional account regarding the man to whom St. Luke addressed his Gospel narrative.

In the novel, which makes excellent use of the historical settings of Crete and Judea in the late first century, Theophilos is a physician and agnostic, and the uncle/stepfather of "Loukas" (St. Luke). Out of concern for Loukas, Theophilos sets out on a journey to "save" his nephew/son from the clutches of the followers of the "Christos." Along the way, Theophilos comes into contact with many individuals connected with the early Christian community and develops a new appreciation for the nascent Christian faith.

I was particularly impressed with the unique mixture of history and fiction that Mr. O'Brien used to bring so many ancient figures to life. From well-known biblical figures, such as Lazarus and the woman at the well, to secular figures, such as the Roman historian Josephus, Mr. O'Brien presents a vast array of characters, each providing a different perspective on the impact (or perceived lack thereof) of Jesus.

Interestingly, although the novel is set nearly 2,000 years ago, the struggles of Theophilos as he comes to grips with the reality of Jesus are timeless. Many of the (ultimately futile) arguments that Theophilos puts forth against Christ and his followers are the same protestations that modern men and women put forth as they struggle to justify their own inability to deal with the truth of Christ.

Simply put, the novel is magnificent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking, entertaining, moving and, ultimately, enlightening read.

Saint Martha

2010-08-04T06:47:00.015-04:00

St. Martha was the sister of Lazarus and a good friend of Jesus. It was her feast day last Thursday (July 29th). At Mass that day, I noticed that there are two possible Gospel readings on her feast day.

The first option, which is perhaps the more well-known passage, is from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 10:38-42), and relates the story of Jesus' visit to Martha's home in Bethany. This passage contains the memorable response from Jesus to Martha after Martha came to Jesus "complaining" that her sister, Mary, was not helping to serve the guests, but rather was sitting at the feet of the Lord, listening to him speak. In response to Martha's "gripe", Jesus says:

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.

To me, Jesus' response is an important reminder that, although one must be active and tend to the necessary tasks of daily life, there is also a need to simply sit at the feet of the Lord -- in prayer, at Mass, at Eucharistic Adoration -- and listen. We must find time to sit and let Jesus speak to our hearts and hang on his every word. In fact, our Lord suggests that this contemplative sort of activity is "the better part." Interesting.

* * * * *

The second passage is from the Gospel of John (Jn 11:19-27) and occurs just after Martha's brother, Lazarus, has died. Jesus has been summoned to Bethany because of the death of his friend and Martha meets him on the way. This is their conversation:

Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise."

Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day."

Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

This exchange between Jesus and Martha, particularly Martha's inspired insight that Jesus is the Christ, suggests that although Martha was a whirlwind of activity when we met her in Luke's Gospel, she also learned a thing or two at the feet of Jesus!

Putting these two Gospel passages together, I come up with the following conclusion: Contemplative prayer, or a contemplative life, which is represented by Martha's sister, Mary, sitting at Jesus' feet in the Gospel of Luke, is an important and perhaps even "better" way of life for a Christian. However, as we see in the passage from John's Gospel, just because one has chosen a more "active" part in life does not mean that the fruit of contemplation is wholly lost. Martha's insight that Jesus is "the Christ" suggests that she, too, has come to an understanding of the deep truths of our faith. In that regard, I think that St. Martha represents many of us who find our way to Jesus through the activities of our lives, who meet Jesus in our "doing" before we meet him in contemplation.

Either way, I think it is safe to say that Jesus wants each of us to come to know him as the Christ and whether we follow a path of action or contemplation, or perhaps a combination of both, as long as our path leads us to the truth about Jesus, it will be a path worth travelling.

Praise God!

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

2010-06-11T10:10:00.005-04:00

Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart!

The readings for Mass this year (Year C) were all related to the image of Our Lord as Good Shepherd. The readings really spoke to me today- an important reminder in these crazy times that God always takes care of his people!

The first reading from Ezekial 34:11-16 was very profound: "Thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. . . . I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark . . . I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal." Awesome!

The Gospel (Luke 15:3-7) was also very rich today. It was the parable regarding the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep behind in search of the one lost sheep and greatly rejoices at finding that one lost lamb. Our Lord sums it up, "I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."

As I was reflecting on these passages, I realized that each one of us, in some way, is the one lost sheep; and, just like in the Gospel parable, our Good Shepherd, Christ, intently seeks us. We are uniquely loved and uniquely precious to our dear Lord, who longs to hold each one of us in his Sacred Heart! Never forget that!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us!

Hitting the Links

2010-05-20T09:07:00.005-04:00

Today, I added links to three of my favorite websites over on the right hand side of the web page. Each of them has been helpful to me in my journey to the Lord and I am hopeful that they will prove helpful to the people that visit this site.

They are:

1. The Mother of God Forum- a lovely place for faith-filled discussion on a myriad of topics related to the Blessed Mother, the Catholic Faith and our strange times.

2. The Pelianito Blog- a blessed and inspiring site from a Canadian "mystic" who hears Our Lord speaking to her through the words of Scripture and shares her inspired thoughts/messages with the world.

3. Mark Mallett's Blog- a true prophet of our times, Mark is a talented musician, a husband and a father. He writes periodically about a variety of subjects related to the faith, but most often about these unique times in which we find ourselves. Mark also has a webcast, Embracing Hope, that is beautiful and inspired.

I would encourage anyone reading this to check out those websites! Again, you can find the links in the right hand column of this web page, just under the picture and profile information.

Praise God!

Random Thoughts on the Annunciation

2010-03-28T18:19:00.004-04:00

I realize that it is Palm Sunday today, and so my thoughts are a few days late (and a few dollars short!). But, on Thursday, which was the Feast of the Annunciation, I was thinking quite a bit about Mary's humility -- her "littleness"-- and I wanted to put those thoughts down.

First, during the homily at Mass on Thursday morning, the priest related something that Thomas Merton once wrote about Mary, that "the greatest thing about her is how little we know about her." That struck me as something worth pondering.

So I pondered... and as I did, I thought about that young woman in Nazareth all those years ago. And how "insignificant" she was in the greater world. Yet, in her "yes" to God, she changed the shape of history!

Mary's fiat was a bit like a small pebble that is thrown into a pool of water. It barely makes a splash when it enters, and yet the ripples from the pebble spread to the far reaches of the pool. Mary's humble submission to the will of God has a profound effect on the world even today.

I find that comforting- particularly when I feel like I am struggling in anonymity, doing nothing "important" other than quietly living out my vocation as a husband and father. But when I look at Mary, I realize that I do not have to make a "big splash" to achieve great things. None of us do. All we have to do is humbly say "yes" to God in whatever task He places before us. Then, we too can change the world.

Loves of His Life

2010-02-11T09:54:00.005-05:00

The other day, I was grabbing a cup of coffee at a local shop when a disabled woman came in and placed an order. She was difficult to understand (I think a speech impediment was part of her disability) and I could see the clerk struggling to get what she was saying. Eventually, it became clear that she wanted a smaller straw than the one she had been provided. Unfortunately, no smaller straws were available and this woman left-- strawless.

I watched as she left the coffee shop and walked over to a waiting taxi cab. The driver got out and came around to open the door for her. He was a strange looking fellow, to say the least, with a large wool hat on his head, and mumbling to himself as he came around the rear of his cab. The two of them made quite a pair!

Anyway, as I watched these two individuals, a thought popped into my head-- "Lost sheep of the House of Israel." And that got me thinking...

In a way, we are all "lost sheep" to a certain degree, wandering around in the wilderness of this world. Yet, lost though we may be, we can take comfort in the fact that we are loved. Not just loved, but loved uniquely.

Yes- you see, God loves each of us uniquely and individually. We are-- each one of us-- the loves of His life. We are, to Him, the pearls of great price. He is the Good Shepherd, and each one of us "sheep" is uniquely precious in His sight.

So, don't be too hard on yourself... and don't be too hard on others. Remember, we are all little lambs in the flock of the Lord.

Praise God!!

The Church Militant

2010-01-26T13:28:00.008-05:00

Slowly, slowly marching on-
heads bowed in prayer,
hearts filled with song-
through the dark valley proceeding.

Events quicken, the valley erupts
yet the column continues onward,
led by the Lady in Blue.

Jesus, we trust in you.
Jesus, we trust in you.
Jesus, we trust in you.

All the way to the Cross...
and beyond.

Pick-A-Saint

2010-01-05T07:49:00.004-05:00

This year, I was introduced to a Catholic New Year's tradition involving the Saints. Apparently, this is something that even Saint Maria Faustina did with her fellow sisters!

Anyhow, the way it goes is that you take a bunch of Saints' names on little pieces of paper and toss them in a hat or bowl. On New Year's Day, each person in the family says a quick prayer and reaches into the bowl to pick a Saint for the year. Then, the idea is to establish a relationship with your new patron as the year progresses. Some say that, even though we do the physical picking of the name, it is the Saint that chooses us!

I thought it was a neat idea and so on January 1st, my family put together a big bowl of Saints and got to choosing. The four of us came out with a pretty impressive list of patrons and we all look forward to getting to know our newfound patrons throughout 2010.

Our new family Saints are:

1. Saint Anthony of Padua
2. Saint Dominic Savio
3. Saint Joseph
4. Saint Jerome

I encourage anyone who stumbles across this Blog to put this little tradition into practice. We can learn so much from our brothers and sisters in Heaven (the "Church Triumphant") and I think that they are just itching for an opportunity to help us.

Praise God!

Fr. Corapi Conference

2009-08-15T22:16:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post about a great day today.

Fr. John Corapi, an SOLT priest who is well known because of his appearances on EWTN and his straight-shootin' style, gave a day-long "retreat" on the subject of the Holy Spirit today in Buffalo. The event was held in the HSBC Arena, a 14 or 15,000 seat arena where the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) hockey team plays. Anyway, the retreat was great and Fr. Corapi was spot on. He is quite a character and pulls no punches; my wife and I enjoyed his four presentations. EWTN's News Anchor, Raymond Arroyo, also gave a 45 minute talk during the event. It was very special.

In my opinion, however, even though Father Corapi was amazing, the two most awesome aspects of the day were the Mass and, later, Benediction. There were about 12,000 people at the event, so the Mass was quite a sight. I have never been at Mass with so many people-- it was really cool. Plus, it was the Feast of the Assumption, which made it even better. Our local Bishop, Edward Kmiec, presided. Following Communion, Fr. Corapi led the entire congregation in a consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary using the formula of St. Louis de Montfort. It was awesome- 12,000 people consecrating themselves to the Blessed Mother! Truly awesome!

Then, at the end of the event, there was Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. Wow. Again, an awesome sight. To be in that place, with thousands of people, all of us worshipping our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament was just amazing-- for a moment, I thought that this must be what heaven is like. A local parish Priest led the crowd in the traditional Benediction prayers, which were prayed in Latin, as well as the Divine Praises and a couple of traditional songs. It was a fitting end to an amazing day.

Experiences like that give me great hope for the future.

Joy!

2009-07-02T22:16:00.005-04:00

Ours is a strange and often dark world, filled with peril. There are wars and rumours of wars. There are daily events that shock the conscience and take one's breath away. Yet, through it all, we Catholics are called to find joy in the sorrow, knowing that we have been saved throught Christ.

The idea of joy amidst suffering always reminds me of a hymn that was a staple at my high school's liturgies -- "How Can I Keep From Singing."

Some quick research revealed that the hymn was written by an American Baptist minister in the mid-nineteenth century. In light of our strange and dark times, I found the words of the song (posted below) quite inspiring.

Remember: There is always joy in Christ!

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation.
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His—
How can I keep from singing?

As always, Praise God!!

End of the Day Prayer

2009-06-20T09:42:00.008-04:00

Everyone knows that prayer is essential to a good spiritual life. Prayer is the food that nourishes the soul and strengthens one's relationship with the Lord. In particular, I think that prayer at the end of the day is crucial. Those moments at the end of the day when I am able to collect myself and place myself before God and take the time to review the day with Him are great. The problem is that, for me at least, those moments are ever so rare.

Despite my best intentions, I frequently find it difficult to engage in any substantial prayers at the end of the day. More often than not, by the time I make it upstairs for bed, I am spent and can barely utter a "thank you, God" before falling asleep! I guess we all have things to work on...

Still, even though I am a flawed end of day pray-er, I thought I would pass along a prayer that I discovered a few years ago in my parish newsletter. I have found it to be a very helpful (and succinct) end of the day prayer that allows me to place myself and my day before God even when I am totally exhausted. I have made it a practice each night to say this prayer in front of the crucifix that hangs on the bedroom wall.

I hope that some of you out there find this beautiful little prayer as helpful as I do!

Prayer for the End of the Day

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its Love, all its Sufferings and all its Merits.

First - To expiate all the sins that I have committed this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Second - To purify the good that I have done badly this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father . . .

Third - To supply for the good that I ought to have done, and that I have neglected, this day and during all my life. Glory Be to the Father . . .

Amen.

Praise God!!

Earthen Vessels

2009-06-12T18:48:00.009-04:00

"Brothers and Sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels."

These are the words of Saint Paul in his second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 4:7) and were the first words of the First Reading today at Mass.

"Earthen vessels..."

Sometimes, I think we expect too much of the "earthen vessels" around us. Too often, we expect more than frail humanity can give. We are human. We sin and we fail constantly. So much so that sanctity should be what surprises, not sin.

"We hold this treasure in earthen vessels."

Yet, despite our sinfulness, God wills that we -- frail and fallen men and women -- are to be the ones that hold the treasure of His truth and proclaim that truth to the nations.

Why would God will that "earthen vessels" would hold such "treasure"? Saint Paul immediately gives us the answer: "[so] that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us." (2 Cor 4:7). In other words, the wonders of Christ steadfastly proclaimed by fallen men and women throughout the ages, despite their individual frailty, is a profound testament to the Truth.

Yes, we hold the treasure in earthen vessels, but by the grace of God, we are able to proclaim that Truth and pass that Truth to others. Despite our imperfections, despite our frailties, despite our flaws . . . "we are ambassadors for Christ." (2 Cor 4:20) (emphasis mine).

Praise God!!

Thoughts on the Eucharist

2009-06-08T21:39:00.005-04:00

Often while attending Mass, I find myself thinking about something my third grade teacher, Mrs. Elmes, told me when I was goofing around with some friends during a school liturgy some twenty-five years ago. Just before the start of the Eucharistic Prayer, Mrs. Elmes noticed me acting up and came over and said something that I have never forgotten. After the obligatory “be quiet or else,” she said that if I was to give my full attention to the Priest at any time during the Mass, now was the time to do it, because nothing in the Mass was more important than the Consecration.

Over the years, I have come to realize how profound a point my teacher was making. Certainly, there can be little argument regarding the centrality and importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. Given this significance, it stands to reason that our utmost attention is required during the Consecration, and that nothing should distract us from the miracle of Christ present during Mass.

Theologian Regis Martin captures this truth in his wonderful 2003 book What is the Church?: Confessions of a Cradle Catholic, where he proclaims:

Let’s face it, here is the most fearful and holy of all mysteries in which our lives as baptized children of God are centered. It is the only mystery, moreover, in which the unseen Lord of the universe — the ineffably transcendent Other — freely consents to become wholly present in an act of perfect, unsurpassed self-donation. Who among us is equal to an event as august as this?

Wow! Clearly, such an event requires one’s full attention!

This critical insight, which invokes the Eucharistic heart of the Church, is one that the Church itself has been making for many years. For example, at the Council of Trent (1542-1563), the Church insisted that Christ is present in the Eucharist in an absolutely singular way (i.e., a presence par excellance) and did not waiver from that stance in the face of multiple protestant teachings regarding a lesser presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Thus, the Tridentine Fathers were aware that Christ’s unique presence in the Eucharist was at the center of the Church’s existence.

The Bishops present at the Second Vatican Council were likewise aware of the Eucharistic heart of the Church, and declared in Lumen Gentium that the Eucharistic sacrifice is the “fount and apex of the whole Christian life.” In this regard, Lumen Gentium echoed the prophetic statements of Henri Cardinal de Lubac, a French theologian, who (nearly a decade before the Second Vatican Council in his book The Splendor of the Church) acknowledged that the Eucharist is “the sacrament of sacraments” and stated that “[w]hen we get down to bedrock, ‘there is contained the whole mystery of our salvation.’”

In this regard, I recall a wise theology professor once stating that “[t]he fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” I do not recall exactly what he was talking about (oops!), but I have always remembered the phrase. Used in this context, the Eucharist, which is the true presence of Christ, is “the one big thing” that we as Catholic “hedgehogs” must know. The Eucharist is Christ Himself, in all his glory and beautiful self-sacrificing love, ceaselessly present in our midst. The Church, as the Bride and Body of Christ, in all its levels of membership — Militant, Suffering and Triumphant — is unified and continuously fed and strengthened by that presence.

The bottom line is that the centrality and importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church cannot be overstated. Borrowing again from Regis Martin’s What Is the Church?, the Eucharist is the “irreducibly unique symbol of our faith” and “forms the whole basis of Catholic identity, igniting the spark of that divine conflagration Christ came into this world to set.” Or as another brilliant theologian, Hans Urs Von Balthasar, put it in his short but powerful book Razing the Bastions, “No Holy Communion is like another.” Rather, each communion, each Mass, is a singular event, and one that is super-charged with the Holy Spirit, filling each individual Christian with the grace required to go out and be Christ to the world.

Thus, the Eucharist is indeed the heart of the Church, and, as Mrs. Elmes suggested, we best pay close attention.

Praise God!!

Grace That Sustains

2009-06-05T07:37:00.006-04:00

"The will of God will never take you where the love of God cannot sustain you."

Such were the words of wisdom displayed over the shoulder of the woman who checked us in at the registration area of Roswell Park Cancer Institute last Fall. Since then, I have come to learn the truth of those words.

Obviously, a cancer diagnosis (or any serious health issue, for that matter) poses a difficult obstacle both for the person diagnosed and their family. Viewed as a whole, the challenges of treating (and beating) the illness seem insurmountable. Yet, taken one day at a time (and sustained by the grace of God), the "mountain" can be scaled.

Therein lies the wisdom of the words above. The will of God often takes us to places we would not go of our own accord, putting in front of us challenges that seem quite impossible. Yet, God does not simply deposit us at the base of the mountain and leave us to our own devices. He always provides the necessary grace to meet the challenge. Yes! The will of God will never take you where the love of God cannot sustain you!

However, in my experience, grace is most often situation-specific, meaning that one only receives the grace needed in the moment of trial. So, looking at a situation from afar, one often feels as though there is no way he could survive... No way that she could meet the challenge, whether with God's grace or without it. That is because the grace to deal with the situation has not yet been given.

In this regard, I am reminded of the many inspiring Catholic martyrs, who frequently endured unspeakable torments. I believe that the strength and faith that these men and women displayed at the time of trial is attributable to the great graces that God bestowed upon them.

In my own situation, looking back over the past six months, I marvel at the way my family has handled our difficulties. I look at the variety of obstacles we have encountered and overcome and see the hand of God everywhere. I know that God's grace was present because I am certain that we could never have navigated through that time without it.

I suspect that if someone had described these past months to me before I lived them, I would have been overwhelmed and discouraged, wholly uncertain that I would be able to rise to the occasion and meet the challenges. Such feelings would derive, in part, from the fact that I would be viewing the situation without the benefit of the graces I would receive at the appropriate time. Fortunately for us all, God in his great mercy and love, bestows upon his faithful the grace necessary in each moment.

Trust in the Lord. He will not disappoint!

Praise God!!

The Imitation of Christ

2009-06-03T15:59:00.004-04:00

Recently, I discovered Thomas a Kempis' The Imitation of Christ, which is certainly among the all-time great Catholic works. It is a timeless work and one that can be read over and over, bit by bit, each time producing great fruit.

Today, in Book 2, Chapter 11, paragraphs 1-3, I came across the following passage, which truly spoke to me:

Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are willing to suffer anything for his sake. There are many that follow Jesus as far as the breaking of the bread, few as far as drinking the cup of suffering; many that revere his miracles, few that follow him in the indignity of his cross; many that love Jesus as long as nothing runs counter to them; many that praise and bless him, as long as they receive some comfort from him; but should Jesus hide from them and leave them for a while, they fall to complaining or become deeply depressed.

One reason that this passage resonated with me today was the recent shift in the liturgical calendar from the Easter season to Ordinary time. I have been thinking about how we Catholics often refer to ourselves as an "Easter people," but often neglect to consider that we are also a "Good Friday people."

In this regard, we must always remember that Our Lord's invitation to discipleship explicitly contains the cross. Suffering, in one form or another, is part and parcel of being a Christian. For example, in Mark 8:34-35, Jesus said:

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.

Too often, it seems, we Christians forget that part of the equation. We forget (perhaps all too conveniently) that there is no Easter Sunday, no glorious Resurrection morn, without the dreadful cruelty and suffering of Good Friday.

In short, to follow Christ-- to "imitate" him -- is to make our own march to Calvary. I humbly pray that God grant will grant us all the strength, courage and wisdom to embrace the cross in our lives and to follow Him in all things.

Praise God!!

Direction For Our Times

2009-02-19T16:02:00.009-05:00

For anyone seeking a bit o' spiritual inspiration, I highly recommend the "Volumes", a series of works by "Anne, a lay apostle" who writes from Ireland. Anne, a wife and mother, has been receiving interior locutions for many years and has committed a great deal of those locutions to print. I also recommend her books, particularly "Climbing the Mountain," which I found very inspirational.

If interested, check out the following link: http://www.directionforourtimes.com/

Praise God!!

Fight FOCA

2008-11-20T12:30:00.004-05:00

I came across a link to a petition fighting the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a despicable piece of legislation that President-Elect Obama has indicated will be one of his top priorities. I encourage anyone that happens upon this post to please go to the following website and sign the petition:

http://www.AULAction.org/

Also, please pray for the culture of life and the conversion of the hearts of all of our elected officials, particularly Mr. Obama.

Praise God!!

Moving On

2008-11-12T13:32:00.004-05:00

Well, it has been just a little over a week since the election. In case anyone is wondering (and given the lack of comments on this Blog, I suspect that no one is), I voted for Bob Barr, the Liberterian candidate. Basically, I could not bring myself to vote for either Obama or McCain and Barr was the only other pro-life option.

So, Barack Obama was elected President, and (unfortunately) it appears that Roman Catholic voters helped to ensure that outcome. Although it was an historic election, I cannot help assessing the post-election situation with a bit of dread. Certainly, on the issue of life, the election was disastrous. With a Democratic President and Democratic control of both the House and Senate, it seems that life will be under siege for the next couple of years. It will take a significant amount of prayer to weather the storm.

Also, I feel a general sense of unease regarding the situation in America. Given the precipitous state of our economy, the war in Iraq, etc..., perhaps that sense of uneasiness would have existed regardless of who was elected. Nonetheless, it is a palpable uneasiness; a sense that America is going to take one on the chin in the near future. Be that as it may, I am fully aware that with God, there is always hope. Feelings of uneasiness aside, I know that I must trust in the Lord and His benevolence. After all, they don't call this place the "vale of tears" for nothing!

As a Roman Catholic, I find it helpful to remember that right now, I am a part of the Church Militant, that aspect of the Church that is present in the world and fighting the fight for Christ. I should expect challenges. Yet, it is important to remember that I do not face those challenges alone. The Church Militant is only one part of the Church (along with the Church Suffering in Purgatory and the Church Triumphant in Heaven), and we receive assistance from the other members, particularly all of our brothers and sisters in Heaven. So, come what may, we must always remember their assistance.

Yes, the election is over. And as I move on from the election, I realize that only time will tell what the future holds. For now, my fervent hope and prayer is that my President-Elect (and my Country) will experience a change of heart on the issue of life.

Praise God!!

Random Thoughts

2008-10-29T07:24:00.005-04:00

Well, I just spent 25 minutes on a nice post regarding my thoughts on the upcoming election. Then, when I tried to publish the post, it disappeared! Such are the challenges of blogging, I guess.

In a nutshell- crazy times. Life is the key issue. Without life, all the other issues are moot... You cannot tax someone who was never born!

Thank God for the opportunity to live and serve Him during these times!

Praise God!!

Confession

2008-10-24T19:39:00.003-04:00

I went to Confession today. What a great grace! There is a wonderful Church in downtown Buffalo called St. Michael's that is run by the Jesuits and offers daily Confession from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm. It is rare to find daily Confession, so I feel very blessed to have that option available in my hometown. Better still, St. Michael's also has daily adoration. So, the Eucharist is exposed the entire time that one is there to confess. I find that to be a great grace as well.

Confession is definitely one of the most underappreciated and underutilized sacraments in the Church today. I suspect that people tend to think of Confession as being "old fashioned" and not an important part of a Catholic's life post-Vatican II. Nothing could be further from the truth! Confession is integral to the life of a practicing Catholic-- the opportunity to confess and reconcile with God is key, but so to is the grace that flows from the sacrament. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is about both confessing our sins, as well as obtaining the grace to overcome sin in the future.

Just ponder the words of the Act of Contrition, which powerfully reflect this dichotomy:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee,
In choosing to do wrong and failing to do right,
I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with the help of your grace,
to sin no more,
And to avoid whatever occasion leads me to sin. Amen.

If you are a Roman Catholic, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go to Confession at least once a month. I promise you, by the grace of God, you will be the better for it.

Praise God!!

Big Week

2008-10-01T11:03:00.001-04:00

The Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints provides the Church with some pretty amazing Saints this week:

Monday 9/29: St. Michael the Archangel- the awesome protector and defender of the Church. I encourage everyone to say Pope Leo XIII's St. Michael prayer as often as possible. The prayer and some neat information about it is available here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_to_Saint_Michael

September 29th also honors Saints Raphael and Gabriel, two other important Archangels.

Tuesday 9/30: St. Jerome - a lion of the faith and one of the great Doctors of the Early Church.

Today 10/1: St. Therese of Liseux - the "Little Flower" and one of the great Saints of the last century.

Tomorrow 10/2: The Guardian Angels - An often under appreciated group. Each of us has one and they are, quite often, the unsung heroes of our lives!

Friday 10/3: A "day off." No Saints on the official calendar. BUT- it is First Friday, so that makes it quite special.

Saturday 10/4: St. Francis of Assisi- Another wonderful and inspiring Saint who changed the Church and the world for the better. If you are looking for something to read, I would suggest G.K Chesterton's or St. Bonaventure's biography of Francis.

A "Big Week" indeed! Praise God!!

A Shout-out to Pope Saint Pius X

2008-09-25T10:27:00.002-04:00

In follow-up to my last post- I wanted to give a "shout-out" to Pope Saint Pius X for making daily reception of the Eucharist a reality in the modern Catholic church. It was Pope Pius X's decree Sacra Tridentina, issued on December 20, 1905, that stressed the importance of frequent(and even daily) reception of communion.

It is a wonderful decree and well worth taking a look at... If you are so inclined, Sacra Tridentina is available here:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWFREQ.HTM

So, thanks Pope Saint Pius! Praise God!!

Quick Hits

2008-09-08T14:40:00.001-04:00

A couple of quick thoughts:

First, daily Mass is a wonderful blessing. I have been attending daily Mass for the past seven or eight years, and it is most often the highlight of my day. I look forward to my intimate communion with the Lord on a daily basis and am truly grateful that He provides me with the opportunity to attend Mass each day. I will admit that I was not always a daily communicant, but the experience of attending Mass alone-- i.e., just me and the Priest-- a few years back really opened my eyes to the tremendous beauty and grace of the Eucharist. Praise God!

Second, on the Joe Biden topic-- I saw him on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday morning (9/7/08). At one point during the interview, big Joe set forth his "personal" acceptance of the Church's teaching that life begins at conception (good!), but explained his refusal to force that belief on others (e.g., I am personally opposed, but...) (bad). Aarrgh! I cannot stand it when Catholic politicians hide behind the "personally opposed, but" position. There is no "but." If life begins at conception, which is difficult to refute (see www.princeton.edu/~prolife/articles/embryoquotes2.html ), then how is it possible to say one is "opposed, but"? Murder is murder. Let's at least acknowledge abortion for what it is-- the murder of a human person. Anyway, suffice it to say that although I find the majority of the Obama-Biden platform attractive, I doubt that I will be able to vote for them simply because of the life issue. It makes me feel disenfranchised!

First Thoughts

2008-08-25T17:13:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama's recent selection of Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2008 election got me thinking about what it means to be Catholic. . . So much so that I created this blog. I make no guarantees and will post my thoughts only when inspired. The only limit that I currently place on this blog is that somehow any/all posts will be related to my Roman Catholic faith.

Back to the initial inspiration: Joe Biden.

His selection has re-sparked the debate regarding Catholic politicians that support abortion and, perhaps more to the point for me, whether a practicing Catholic can or should, in good conscience, vote for a politician that is pro-choice. This issue is certainly worth discussing.

I do not profess to have any answers and am, in fact, still undecided regarding the upcoming presidential election. I am well aware of how awful abortion is and do not want to stand up and be counted with the pro-choice (pro-death?) people in America. Yet, the Republican platform, which is nominally pro-life, has plenty of its own positions that are cause for revulsion. My current plan is to think and pray long and hard before casting my ballot in November.

However, one point I would like to make is that it seems to me that there is an awful lot of grand-standing and judging that goes on in the debate over these issues. I humbly submit that our Lord would frown upon his followers taking potshots at others and manning the moral high ground so often staked out by the Pharisees in His time. The passage regarding tending to the beam in one's own eye before pointing out the splinter in the eye of another comes to mind.

Anyway, the issue of abortion-- or more specifically, of Catholics that mistakenly believe they can be "pro-choice" and Catholic-- is one that must be addressed with love, not rhetoric and vitriol, if any true progress is to be made.