Good Bye CUA and THANK YOU

It’s hard for me to believe that this is my last big 11:00 AM Mass or 9:00 PM Mass here at St. Vincent’s next week most of you will be gone and it will never be this crowded until the class of 2014 comes to CUA at the end of August and the new Chaplain is here.

I have always approached Mass in St. Vinnie’s with fear and reverence.

To this day get goose bumps when we sing the Gloria here or the great AMEN.

It has been such a privilege and a blessing for me to pray with you here in this holy place.

The first thing I want to say is that I am sorry if I ever hurt any of you.

I have always been burdened with a short memory.
It is a terrible thing for a priest to forget someone’s name.

If I ever ignored you or forgot you,
or was not attentive to your needs, I am sorry.

If I ever lost my temper or was frustrated with youI apologize please forgive me.

One of the jokes on campus is that I remember people’s names then I forgot them, I remembered them again then and then I forget them.

You’re right I do.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Next to my chair in my room there was a big white binder with all your pictures.

Before I would go to a building I would look at the pictures of the kids who lived there try and remember their names.
One year I even made flash cards.

When I would come back
I would write little notes next to your picture like

Pray for her mom.
he’s having trouble studying.
She’s not happy
EAN.. extra attention needed ..
Possible Freshman Retreat Team
Funny Kid… or
unmade bed.
Heard he pee’d in the spellavator… talk to him.

Sometimes in the morning when I pray I would pick up the binder look at your pictures and pray for your intentions.

That’s why I would remember and forget and remember and forget.

I know some of you are happy I forgot who you were or what you did.

The binder is never gonna get updated again so if you lived in Spellman this year you are going to live in it forever…

I have loved my time here at Catholic so very much. Yes, you are a very bizarre parish,
a very bizarre beautiful parish,
a very bizarre wonderful parish.

People between the ages of 18-21
Go through so much
You come to CUA adolescents and you leave young adults.
So much comes together for you.

College is kind of like the microwave of life…
I have always loved your passion.
I have always loved to watch you interact with each other.
You have made me laugh until it hurts (what’s this pain) and I have shed a few tears with some of you.

What a privilege, what a privilege, what a privilege it has been for me to share your life.

I am going to miss you and Catholic so much.
The Lord has placed four simple words
on my heart of late some of you know them.
I have been saying them over and over again
whenever I get afraid.
or whenever I realize that I am really leaving you.

Trust, Surrender, Believe, Receive.
Trust, Surrender, Believe, Receive.

For those of you who don’t know I’ve been told that I am going to go to be presented as pastor of a parish. ( I can’t tell you where because I want to be respectful of the Bishop who must approve me)

A parish where I know I will be in awe of the innocence of the little ones in.
(I can’t wait to have lunch with the Kindergartners)
A parish where I will do my best to form some kind of life giving youth ministry that can touch the hearts of the kids in High School.

I am going to a parish where
I will have the privilege of helping to prepare couples for marriage,

I am going to a parish where I will be able to work with actual middle aged people like me… and we can talk about cholesterol together.

Finally what a privilege it will be for me to anoint and hold the hand of a person going home to God. I will be able to console them with the sacrament, comfort them and pray them.

All of these things inspire me.

They are part and parcel of the life of every priest.
I hope I am up to the task.

I know that from the very first moment of my existence I was created to be a priest.
Even with all the scandals and problems our church faces

I wouldn’t trade my life for an instant not one Instant.
I want you all to know that
I know I am not worthy of this call.

I’ve been praying a lot about what I should say to you.

And I have narrowed them down to three simple thoughts…

The First is this.

I assure you.
You will be
a better wife
a better husband
a better father
a better mother
you will be a a better boss
a better employee
a better person
if you allow God into your lives.
Not only that,
but your life will be more peace filled.
and more joyful…. if you allow God into your lives.
With God in your life you can be filled with Joy… a joy that no one can take.
And don’t be afraid when you mess up
we all do….. go to confession and ask God for forgiveness.

I have never had any problem figuring out what to say to my confessors at the Monastery every week… I always have more than enough to say.

Nothing can compare to a life of faith
that is lived and true.… Let God into your life.

The second is this
I challenge you to have a passion for souls
Not just your own soul but everyone’s soul
Have a big enough heart
Have a strong enough heart
Have a brave enough heart
Have a generous enough heart
To Love people to God
that’s what I mean when I say have a passion for souls.

You know Souls come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
there are cantankerous souls
And loving souls
There are souls that always live in fear or shame
There are souls which are addicted
There are poor souls and wretched souls
There are holy souls and gentle souls
And in every soul there is the image and likeness of God

Sometimes you gotta remind yourself that the image and likeness of God is in there someplace. But don’t give up..

Love them to faithLove them to faith In quiet and gentle and humble ways call them to more
and be patient with them when they fall or miss the mark.

We have been given so much here at Catholic
It has to be shared.
Please have a wonderful beautiful passion for souls.

The Third thought is this.

I have become convinced that most important thing a person can do in life is to give their heart away.

That’s the greatest commandment that Jesus spoke about in the Gospel.

I know I know
It’s very scary to hold your heart in your hand and say here…
here’s my heart

I know it is terrifying to say I love you. The dreaded “l” word.

That’s what a parent must give their life to their child.

Couples give their life to each other as they walk through the seasons of life

That’s what dedicated single people do when they give away their lives in loving service.

That’s what priests and religious do when
we try and spread their heart all over a parish,
or a hospital
or all over a campus.

Think of a peanut butter sandwich… you gotta try cover the whole piece of bread.

I know we are all tempted to hold on to our lives and our hearts

I’ve been tempted to stay here and hold to you and all that is beautiful and comfortable for me.
We are all tempted to protect ourselves and our interests

Don’t hold on… let go… that’s what Jesus did
all you have to do is look at the cross to know that… follow Him.

So there are my three thoughts for you…. Repeat after me

Let God into your lives
Have a passion for souls
Give your heart and give your life away

This has been no theological treatise to be sure… but it’s all I’ve got.

Finally I need to ask you one last favor
And that is to pray for the priests and religious
We need your prayers
We count on your prayers
The assumption that all Priests or religious or bishops have our act together is long gone.
That’s probably good.

Now everyone knows we need prayers.

One of you told me yesterday…
Every saint has a past every sinner has a future.
I had never heard that before…

I’ll have to google it and find out who said it.

Please pray for us and please pray for me…
put me in your white binder…

Pray That I may be open to my future in God’s plan
Pray that I can figure out how to spread my heart over a whole parish

I have to admit I’m afraid I won’t know how to do it.
Illustrious Alumni here present

You are some of my dearest friends thank you so much for coming.
Some of you came from so far away…
Thank you…. thank you so much
We had great times together..

I know you are doing great things with your life I love it when I see you with your children and I am so proud of you.

Dear faculty and staff we all know CUA is a great place
sometimes we just take the challenges we face every day too seriously….
Please, never forget to see the wonderful place we have been privileged to help create here…
look at these Gumbas that God has give us…. they are beautiful.

The privilege of preparing the next generation is awesome indeed.

It has been an honor working with so many very dedicated people

I am proud of you and grateful for the chance to serve with you on such a noble cause and I ask your forgiveness for the times I hurt you or disappointed you.

Lastly Holy Ones… wanna be holy ones… and even those who don’t want to be holy for now.

When you sing on the stage in the Harke or outside my window at 3 in the morning.

When you play on our fields… compete on our courts or swim in our pool

When you actually go to class and do your work, go figure…

When you make me laugh or when we share a tear

When you create life giving and holy friendships and relationships

I am proud of you I am proud of you I am proud of you

I thank God because I am so privileged to have spent this time with you

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you

I’ve not exactly sure why I am leaving CUA.

But I trust my religious superiors.

And I surrender my life to God or at least I want to surrender my life to God.

And I believe that he loves me as messed up as I can be

And I know that I will receive the graces I need wherever I go.

Trust surrender believes receive
AMEN.

4th Sunday of Easter – Year C 2010

Sheep were very important to the people of Jesus’ time.

They provided clothing and food. 
Every town had a flock of sheep which were cared for by local shepherds.

Jesus frequently used common experiences from everyday life to convey profound religious truths.

When he spoke about the relationship between sheep and shepherds the people who listened understood completely.

Once upon a time in my youth I took about 25 ruffians from the projects just outside of Rome to a small town called Bagnoregio it was a beautiful place out in the country.

Many of the kids were in middle school and had never been out of the asphalt jungle or city projects of Ostia Nuova where they grew up.

They were very poor.
To give you an idea how isolated they were, when we went into the city of Rome to catch the bus for Bagnoregio some of them discovered an escalator for the first time and a riot broke.

It was like going to Disney world for them.
Up and down Up and down running down the up and up the down… you know the drill. 

The transit police were not amused and they tried to run after the kids and  catch them needless to say they were not successful.

It was beautiful in Bagnoregio they played soccer all day on grass.

One day  I decided to give them a little culture and take them to a larger town called Orvieto.

We were late as usual and as we walked down the road to get the bus they notice the bus was already there and  started yelling l’auto l’auto l’auto   running toward it yelling and screaming like normal kids from Rome do.

The only problem what that in between the bus and the kids in the middle of town were around 100 sheep being led by two young shepherd to pasture and a dog.

They were coming back from being shorn.

When the kids saw the bus and started running and yelling, the sheep could no longer hear the shepherds and became afraid.

They started to run into each other and to scatter all over the place.

Back then People in small towns kept their doors open in the summer heat.

The sheep ran into stores and houses
and because they were afraid they pooped all over.
What a mess. What mess What mess…

The people of the town came out and started yelling we literally all had to run for it and catch the bus or they would have done us in. There was you know what all over the place.

That night we got off the bus outside the town and tried to sneek back to the friary we were staying in.

When we got back the old friar who had welcomed us came into the room and was so upset he couldn’t speak.

All he could do is stand there and shake his hands.
Needless to say we snuck out of town and went home never to return.

Sometimes when we read the newspaper or listen to the news the world seems like a bunch of scattered sheep, frightened and leaving their mark all over the place.

When we like the sheep fail to hear the voice of our Shepherd,
when we fail to be guided and protected by the voice of our shepherd,
when something suddenly happens to us, a tragedy, an illness, a death, a challenge whatever,

it is so easy for our lives to become a mess like that  street in Bagnoregio.

Chaos can come so quickly to our lives.
It can come quickly and without any warning.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus is our Shepherd and we are his sheep.

Some people might be offended at being compared to sheep.
In reality they are offended because they don’t realize we need God.

Yes, sheep are not really smart,
they can’t see well
they get lost easily.
But they know enough to follow the shepherd and trust the shepherd.

The question of the day is simple.
Do we do we know that we need to listen to the Good Shepherd in our lives?

Do we know how to even recognize his voice?
Do we ever take the time to listen to him?
Have we ever helped someone else listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd?

Without the voice of Jesus our shepherd,
it is so easy to make a mess of our lives and the lives of the people around us.

Without the voice of Jesus guiding us it is very possible to even mess up the lives of the very people we love the most.

In the Gospel today Jesus said simply.
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.”

Jesus knows us.
He knows what we need.
He know what challenges we face.
He knows what our temptation, our fears, our weaknesses.
He knows our sins.
He knows us and He knows us and He knows us.
And he loves us he loves us he loves us .

And if we are willing to be guided by Him
Jesus reminds us
“No one can take us out of His hands”

When we are one with the Shepherd
When we conform our lives to His.
Then we too can be one with God Himself.

Lest we get lost along the way of life.
Let us always be attentive to  to the voice of our Good Shepherd.
He alone can guide us home.

Inspired at prayers tonight... Thank you God

Here is the Link if the video doesn't transfer to facebook.. They will be done Lord

3rd Sunday of Easter Year C - 2010

May the Peace of Christ Reign in our Hearts.

Just three years ago this week all of us witnessed a tragedy,
when a young man filled with hurt and rage killed 32 of his professors and classmates and then took his own life.

The events at VT should gave all of us pause.
They should call all of us to stop and reflect.
They should compel us to ponder their meaning.
There is a lesson to be learned in this tragedy.


Let us be attentive and let us not forget history lest we be doomed to repeat it.
I believe that the heart of that young man gave us a glimpse of what
a world without Christ would look like.

It is a world where people feel
Frightened, worthless, isolated.

It is a world where people are
tragically confused angry or sadly filled with rage.

It is a world “out of control” a world where people just can’t think straight,
a world without Christ lacks justice, respect, or any real semblance of peace,
a world without Christ can be a tragic world indeed.

As we remember the events of that tragic day
we see how when even one person in our world lives and feels that way,
they are capable of making the whole world cry.

Yes fear, isolation, rage, can make us all cry.
Brothers and Sisters we are in the season of Easter


We have just celebrated with joy the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus Christ - God made Man
Jesus Christ - Who by his life taught us how to love
Jesus Christ - Who conquered sin and death by dying on the cross
Jesus Christ - The alpha and the omega the beginning and the end.
There is no room for fear, or hate or isolation, or resentment in a world redeemed by our Jesus our Risen Lord…

In today’s Gospel, a post resurrection narrative,
there are three key components
the restoration of Peter
the command to feed and tend God’s flock
and the shadow of the cross.

We all know that tragically Peter who was chosen by Jesus to lead the Church publicly denied Jesus three times.

He denied that he even knew him.
Because of fear he tried to convince those people standing around the fire on the night of judgment that Jesus was never a part of his life.

He tried to convince them that his was a world without Christ.
“I don’t know him
I don’t know him
I tell you I don’t even know him,”
He said.

What sad words,
fear has the power to make us do terrible things watch terrible things and say terrible things indeed.
In Today’s Gospel
Jesus doesn’t lecture him
Jesus doesn’t scold him or make an example of him.
Jesus simply asks him a question three times
Once for each time of the times Peter denied him

Do you love me Peter?
Feed My Sheep
Do you love me Peter?
Tend my Sheep
Do you Love me Peter?
Feed my Sheep

With those simple words
Peter is forgiven, restored.
And they are given publicly so that there is not a shadow of a doubt where Peter stands with Jesus.

His forgiveness is complete. 
He is healed of his apostasy
and Jesus refocuses Peter on his mission to shepherd God’s people.

Not only is he forgiven and restored but Christ reminds him that fulfilling God’s will, will cost him.
He encourages him not to be consumed by fear again.

In that same moment of restoration and forgiveness
Christ foretells the type of sacrifice Peter will be called upon to make.
We can never forget holy ones that Love is never free
True Love is never without sacrifice

We all know that in the end Peter would pay the same price of love
that Christ paid

We all know that like Christ Peter was crucified…
Crucified upside down to be exact….

When Peter paid the final price of love.
there was no denial
there was no fear
NO FEAR…
Fear had no more power over him.
Love the love of Christ had won the battle in Peter’s heart.

What does all of this have to do with us?
What should we be thinking about as we hear this Gospel and reflect on the tragedy of Virgina Tech and so many other places in the world like it?

The first thought which came to my mind was this.
All of us like Peter need to be restored.
All of us like Peter need the forgiveness that only God can give.
All of us like Peter have denied Christ both in word and deed.
Not three times but over and over again
all of us.
And all of us can be forgiven.

Forgiveness is one of the key components of Christ’s message.
We all can be forgiven.
And all of us are called to forgive and be instruments of God’s forgiveness and God’s healing.

The second thought which came to my mind is this.
none of us are extra,
none of us superfluous
all of us are needed
all of us are essential
we are all key players in God’s plan.

There is not a person alive now who doesn’t wish that someone could have reached into that young man’s heart,
And pulled him away from is horrifying isolation and rage.

How many chances were missed?
How many tries were made?
What happened?
How did he not come to know that he could be loved?
How did he not know that he had value?
How is it that in our great age of science his sickness what not recognized and treated appropriately?
How were the cries for attention, found in his writings and in his bizarre lifestyle not get the attention and healing they were so desperately seeking ?
How did fear and hate win in the heart of this young man?

No none of us are superfluous
all of us are needed.

When Jesus calls upon Peter to feed his sheep and tend his lambs
He calls upon us all to do the same
To reach out to the isolated
The awkward
The lonely

He called us all to be messengers of the power of love.
The message of Christ is meant for everyone
No matter what.

Finally today’s Gospel reminds us that love is never free.
And that all of us will be called to pay the price of love

When Jesus reminds Peter that he will have to face the cross
Jesus reminds all of us that the same cross that awaited him will be shared in some way by anyone who loves,
all who heal,
all who build up,
all who try to make people feel whole,
everyone who follows Christ,
will have to face the cross.
If we never feel the pain,
if we never face the cross,
if our religious practice is easy,
then we have to ask ourselves
is our love real and authentic?

Brothers and Sisters,
let us ponder all of these things in our hearts.
Let us put them into action in our lives.
Let us live and love without fear and without counting the cost.
For world without Christ’s message is a terrible world indeed.
We have a lot to do
Amen

From the mouths of Babes !!!

Lately  the new Student Ministers and the Professional Staff have noticed I have felt called to memorize some scripture... then I found this video and I feel really called.....  This little girl and her family inspires me !!! Sometimes it takes a while to load but it is worth the wait !!!

2nd Sunday of Easter – Year C 2010

I heard this story from a dear friend and I thought I
would share it with you.

Once upon a time, certainly in my life time, this little hard working lady from NE Washington would get on several buses to get to work and help support her family.
She worked in the cafeteria in  or near the Pentagon. She would get on the bus in Washington and would sit down in any seat for the long journey to work, many times she made the journey under the hot Washington sun (no air-conditioning then). 

When the last bus she had to take got to the 14th Street bridge it would stop right on the bridge  at the border between Washington and Virginia and the driver would stand and shout “Negros to the back of the bus.”

The bus would not move until all the Negros moved even if there were lots of empty seats or even if there weren’t any white people on the bus at all. 

When the bus finally moved on you would have the surreal  scene of a bus empty in the front and a whole lot of people squeezed in the back like sardines . Thank God such foolishness seems so foreign to me today.
It is easy to  imagine how frustrating and humiliating  and ridiculous it was to have to go through this ritual every day over and over again when you were just trying to help your family and you were tired after a long day’s work.
But this little hard working lady who loved her family and  travelled so far  to help provide for them refused to be conquered by such foolishness.

She simply told herself and her loved ones that she was not going to let anyone take her peace and that no one had the power to take away her joy.

Her quiet steadfast refusal to allow herself to changed by stupidity of others was an incredible sign of strength.

It was a simple, quiet, but strong “NO” to ignorance. The anger and bitterness and ignorance of other people would not conquer her.

They might get her seat but the wouldn’t get her heart and they wouldn't get her peace.

The strength she showed could only have by a profound life of prayer and the consolation of living one’s life based on the Word of God.
Her faith taught had her that Jesus wants us to live in peace and that the life of a Christian should be filled with joy.

Change finally came because of the strong witness of people like her who refused to allow themselves to be conquered or defeated by anger, despair or prejudice.

God wants us all to have peace... and he doesn't want us to let anyone or anything take it from us..

In today’s Gospel over and over again Jesus said “Peace be with you…”  And in fact all of the readings today point to the same call to peace.
In the first reading people find strength and healing,  faith and joy in the good works of the Apostles, in the good works of the Church.
In the second reading from Revelation John finds himself on the Island of Pathos consoled with the revelation that Jesus is particularly close to those who suffer. Those who suffer persecution those who suffer anything.
In the Gospel Jesus appears and tries repeatedly to  convince a terrified groups of dear friends that he is not a ghost. He even eats a piece of baked fish, ghosts can’t do that.. and let’s Thomas touch his wounds.
Yes, Jesus wants us all to live peace filled  lives in peaceful families surrounded by peaceful communities, and someday his dream for us will be realized.
But understanding the human heart as much as he does in today’s Gospel Jesus also gave the Apostles and the Church an  astounding gift.

He knew that because we mess up over and over and over again we humans need the ability to simply start over, to begin anew, to leave our past and our sins and failures behind .

And so he breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

With this simple phrase The Church has believed for 2000 years that Jesus gave the apostle and those who would follow in the footsteps of the Apostles the gift to forgive sins.
Today’s readings and the faith of that little lady riding the bus to feed her family should cause us all to ask ourselves “Who or What is taking our peace Better yet…who or what do we allow to take our peace ?

Why don’t we live peace filled lives ?

Is it because we’ve given into the epidemic temptation to always want more and more and more thing?
Is it because we’ve given into the temptation to always want to be the first in line the most recognized?

You know the “I’m number one syndrome”
Is it because we really don’t believe that God loves us?
Have we lost our peace because we just can’t seem to shake away the burden of our sins?

When’s the last time we went to confession? The church asks us to go once a year, I go every week and I always have enough to say.

With all the crap going on in the world I’m amazed that after regularly going to confession themselves priests, aren’t living in the confessionals of their Church reminding everyone that God loves them, forgives them and wants us to be at peace.
Who or what are we allowing to take our peace ?
Who or what are we allowing to take our joy ?
Very important questions indeed. 
“Peace be with you,” he said…..

With sadness and expecation…

It has been such has been such a privilege for me to serve at Catholic for these last 12 years, every moment has been a gift. I will always treasure my time here at CUA. I have received so much more than I could ever have given.
I leave Catholic with very mixed emotions. I am grateful for the time I have spent here. I am thankful for the privilege of being a part of your lives. I am sorry for any time I may have let any of you down or failed you, please forgive me.
I want to thank Fr. O’Connell for his support and vision over these last 12 years. His support has meant so much to me and the spiritual life here at Catholic. I want to thank the Campus Ministry Staff who has  sacrificed so much to develop our program. You inspire me! I want to thank my colleagues in Student life for your friendship and for all of the sacrifices you make for our students.

Please pray for me that I may have complete confidence in God as I look to the future will lots of expectation. May I practice what I preach. Trust Surrender Believe Receive. Amen

Thoughts from Mayor Ed Koch.... on the Media

April 6, 2010
He [Or She] That Is Without Sin Among You, Let Him [Or Her] Cast The Next Stone…  Enough Already
I believe the continuing attacks by the media on the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Benedict XVI have become manifestations of anti-Catholicism.  The procession of articles on the same events are, in my opinion, no longer intended to inform, but simply to castigate.
The sexual molestation of children, principally boys, is horrendous.  This is agreed to by everyone, Catholics, the Church itself, as well as non-Catholics and the media.  The Pope has on a number of occasions on behalf of the Church admitted fault and asked for forgiveness.  For example, The New York Times reported on April 18, 2008 that the Pope, “came face to face with a scandal that has left lasting wounds on the American church Thursday, holding a surprise meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Boston area….‘No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse,’ the Pope said in his homily.  ‘It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention.’”
On March 20, 2010, The Times reported that in his eight page pastoral letter to Irish Catholics, the Pope wrote, “You have suffered grievously, and I am truly sorry…Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated.”  The Pope also “criticized Ireland’s bishops for ‘grave errors of judgment and failures of leadership.’”
The primary explanation for the abuse that happened — not to excuse the retention of priests in positions that enabled them to continue to harm children — was the belief that the priests could be cured by psychotherapy, a theory now long discarded by the medical profession.  Regrettably, it is also likely that years ago the abuse of children was not taken as seriously as today.  Thank God we’ve progressed on that issue.
Many of those in the media who are pounding on the Church and the Pope today clearly do it with delight and some with malice.  The reason I believe for the constant assaults is that there are many in the media and some Catholics as well as many in the public who object to and are incensed by positions the Church holds, including opposition to all abortions, opposition to gay sex and same-sex marriage, retention of celibacy rules for priests, exclusion of women from the clergy, opposition to birth control measures involving condoms and prescription drugs and opposition to civil divorce.  My good friend, John Cardinal O’Connor, once said, “The Church is not a salad bar, from which to pick and choose what pleases you.”  The Church has the right to demand fulfillment of all of its religious demands by its parishioners, and indeed a right to espouse its beliefs generally.
I disagree with the Church on all of these positions.  Nevertheless, it has a right to hold these views in accordance with its religious beliefs.  I disagree with many tenets of Orthodox Judaism – the religion of my birth — and have chosen to follow the tenets of Conservative Judaism, while I attend an Orthodox synagogue.  Orthodox Jews, like the Roman Catholic Church, can demand absolute obedience to religious rules.  Those declining to adhere are free to leave.
I believe the Roman Catholic Church is a force for good in the world, not evil.  Moreover, the existence of one billion, 130 million Catholics worldwide is important to the peace and prosperity of the planet.
Of course, the media should report to the public any new facts bearing upon the issue of child molestation, but its objectivity and credibility are damaged when The New York Times declines to publish an op-ed offered by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on the issue of anti-Catholicism and to offer instead to publish a letter to the editor, which is much shorter and less prominent than an op-ed.
I am appalled that, according to The New York Times of April 6, 2010, “Last week, the center-left daily newspaper La Repubblica wrote, without attribution that ‘certain Catholic circles’ believed the criticism of the Church stemmed from ‘a New York Jewish lobby.’”  The Pope should know that some of his fellow priests can be thoughtless or worse in their efforts to help him.  If the “certain Catholic circles” were referring to The New York Times, the Pope should know that the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., is Episcopalian, having taken the religion of his mother, and its executive editor, Bill Keller, is also a Christian.
Enough is enough.  Yes, terrible acts were committed by members of the Catholic clergy.  The Church has paid billions to victims in the U.S. and will pay millions, perhaps billions, more to other such victims around the world.  It is trying desperately to atone for its past by its admissions and changes in procedures for dealing with pedophile priests.  I will close with a paraphrase of the words of Jesus as set forth in John 8:7:  “He [or she] that is without sin among you, let him [or her] cast the next stone…”

- Edward I. Koch

How the Church finishes Her day and we finish Wednesday Night Adoration in Eastertime...

Queen of Heaven Rejoice

Alleluia

For He whom you merited to bear

Alleluia

Has Risen as he said
Alleluia

Pray for us to God

Alleluia

Rejoice and be glad of Virgin Mary
for the Lord is truly rise

Alleluia

Easter Vigil - 2010

Can you imagine their anticipation and their fear as they gathered to begin their journey?

Moses had convinced Pharaoh to let them go pray in the desert.
They all knew they would never come back.
The secret had been whispered over and over again in hushed voices. 

As bad as their life was in Egypt it was all that they knew and now they were beginning something completely new both wonderful and unknown.

There was a rush of emotion in their hearts.
They were excited and worried,
afraid and ecstatic,
sad but filled with hope.

There may have even been a few tears as they left the homes they had always known and the graves of their loved ones.

And when they had left the cities of the Egyptians in the distance their hearts began to calm and they began to hope for something better.

All of a sudden someone noticed a cloud of dust back in the distance and their hearts sank for they knew that their slave masters had changed their mind and were coming to get them.

Fear almost overtook them but when all seemed lost
suddenly a pillar of smoke appeared at the front of the line.

And they all understood that it was the very presence of God.
When the night grew dark the pillar of cloud became a pillar of light.
It comforted them and it calmed their fears and it showed them the way to freedom and faith.

This is the story of how God led His people out of Egypt and it is an incredible testament to God’s love His protection and His providence.

In fact all the readings we just heard remind us of God’s loving providence.

When God said “let there be light he led all of creation from darkness into light.”

When God established a relationship with Abraham he led Abraham and his descendents into a relationship that lasts until this day.

As we saw God led his people from slavery to freedom.
He led them through the darkness of desert.
He led them to the promised land.

And over and over again when they  and we would wander
into the darkness of sin
He led them and us to back to righteousness.

The story of our salvation reminds us that God is always with His people
even at their darkest and most frightening moments even in our darkest moments.

Our  history with God should convince us that He is always leading us.
Like the flame of this candle led us into this Church.
Like the flame as Israelites crossed the red sea.
God always shows us the way.

And so all of the readings we just heard have common themes.
They remind us over and over and over again
That God loves us and all of humanity.
That God is faithful
and if we follow him he will guide us home.

The women in the Gospel loved Jesus
They loved Him so much that they could not even think of leaving his body in the tomb without anointing it.

They were probably upset that they were unable to anoint His body before the Sabbath.
They longed to do this one last thing for Him.

They went to the tomb even though they weren’t sure how they were going to accomplish their task.

They weren’t sure if the Roman guards would let them in.
They weren’t sure how they were going to roll back the heavy stone.
They were aware that the Jews were looking for anyone who followed Jesus and that must have been frightening.

Remember the disciples (the men) were so afraid that they were in hiding.
But the women went anyway.
They were not deterred.
Their love compelled them to go.

And when they arrived they saw that God had taken care of all of the obstacles
the stone was already was rolled away
and that the tomb was empty.

When they met the men dressed in dazzling white garments
they heard that Jesus was alive their hearts dared to hope again.

After that incredible encounter they did not return to their homes
or keep the reason for their new found hope and joy to themselves,
but they went back the apostles.

And they shared what they had seen and heard even though as the Gospel said it seemed like nonsense.

Peter the sinner,
Peter the betrayer,
Peter the impulsive one,
Peter the great leader who was also hiding for fear of the Jews
Peter was also compelled by love to take a risk and he left the room.

He wanted so desperately to believe what the women had said.
and because of the risk he took he too was rewarded
with the same startling experience.
The experience of Jesus’ resurrection

It changed Peter’s life forever.

Our encounter with God’s word tonight is very important.
There are not many opportunities for us as a community to reflect on all of the readings of the Easter Vigil.

We have to let them speak to us.
We have to let God speak to us.
We have to let our history with Him recounted, in the readings, change our hearts.

So often we too seem to be lost in the darkness.
So often we don’t know where to turn or where to take the next step.

Sometimes when we face a new challenge or opportunity
just like God’s people we are filled with fear and apprehension.

We might be faced with the darkness of an habitual sin or addiction,
we might be faced a difficult job or marriage,
Maybe our challenge is a child we just can’t figure out how to love,

We might be filled with apprehension as we approach or wedding day or begin a new job.

In moments like this we need to hold on to the witness of God’s long and loving relationship with humanity.

God’s long and loving relationship with us.

We need to see that God is always present.
We need to search for His light and remember
He will always guide us.

Like the women in the Gospel sometimes we know what we have to do
but we aren’t sure how we will be able to accomplish it.
We know where love calls us but we also know there are so many obstacles.

Maybe We know our temper is not of God but we can’t figure out how to change it.

We know that we have to be more generous but it is just so hard to open our hands in generosity.

We know that in order to be better people we have to give God more time in our lives but there are so many things,
even worthy things, which call for our attention.

Like the women stepped out in faith without fear.
We have to be willing to step out in faith.

We need to be willing to walk to the tomb without knowing all of the details
or having all of the answers.

If the women had let all of those obstacles or their fears hinder them or discourage them.
They would never have known that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Like them let us always be willing to share the reason for our hope.
We have to be willing to share the consolation of our faith,
This is not an easy moment to say the words “I’m Catholic”
it hasn’t been easy to admit that for almost a decade.

When I got on a plane not to long ago… the Stewardess said to me… Lucky you
When I asked here why she said… you get two seats…
I responded why the plane looks really full.. and she said. No one sits next to priests anymore. 
(Difficult times indeed)

Let us always be willing to trust  and be guided by the light of God’s love

If we step out into the unknown
we too will find the tomb empty and like the women in the Gospel our hearts will be filled with anticipation and Joy.

Strengthened by our encounter with the living Word of God

And challenged by the example of these 6 fine people who are seeking entrance into our Church even in these difficult times.

We must stand up and be joyful witnesses of Christ’s ressurection

Let us always be willing to proclaim the reason for our hope.

He is Risen
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
He Risen
Alleluia

Amen.

Having a wonderful time with Mom !!

Holy Thursday Year C - 2010

 
On Holy Thursday it is indeed fitting that we mediate on freedom.

In the first Reading we read that
the Israelites longed for freedom.

They longed to be free from their slavery to the Egyptians.
They longed to be free to live like God’s people and follow God’s law.

To gain their freedom from the Egyptians
Moses instructed each Israelite family to purchased a lamb and prepare it in a special way.

They were to sprinkle the blood of the Lamb on the door post of their houses and once it was cooked eat it standing.

As the Angel of the Lord passed over the houses of the Egyptians the first born of every household was killed in retribution for the sins of the Egyptians.

When the Angel of the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites The blood of the lamb which was sprinkled on the door posts freed them from the same tragic fate.

Hence the day became known as Passover because the Angel of the Lord passed over and no harm was done to God’s People.

The Israelites were indeed freed by the blood of the Lamb.

In the second reading
we read about the Jesus the Lamb of God,
who took bread and wine,
blessed it and shared with his disciples saying
“this is my Body and this is my blood.”

Once again we hear about the blood of the lamb though this time the lamb is Jesus.
And we learn that the blood of Jesus frees us from the slavery of our sins.

The body and blood of the Lamb of God, strengthens us in our ability to live good and holy lives.
The body and blood of Jesus the Lamb of God reminds us of Gods loving presence in our lives.


Because of the gift of the Eucharist
we are never alone,
we are never alone,
it is impossible for us to ever be alone.

At every hour of the day on the Earth and for all time
the Eucharist is celebrated and Christ is  made present among us in his body and in his blood.
And so once again we are freed from loneliness and freed from sin because of the body and blood of the Lamb of God.

Finally in the Gospel Jesus also teaches us about a new freedom,
freedom from pride,
freedom from selfishness,
freedom from becoming lost in ourselves, our own problems,
our own wants and our own needs.

In the Gospel today at the Last supper Jesus, the Rabbi, the teacher
Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God
gets up from table and removes his outer garment.

Then he kneels before each one of his Apostles and he humbly washes their feet.
In doing so he teaches them once more how to be free.

When you wash someone’s feet you can’t be arrogant
When you are willing to wash someone else’s feet you won’t worry or quarrel about who is the greatest or the more important.

Jesus knows that only when we are humble enough to wash each other’s feet will we be free enough to love,
free enough to put our own needs aside,
and free enough to pour out our lives in loving service.
A proud man,
a selfish man,
will never find the strength and the courage to wash someone else’s feet or 
lay down his life for a friend.

Yes Holy Thursday is indeed about freedom freedom from slavery to sin,
freedom from Isolation and loneliness,
freedom to live in Holy Communion with the Body and Blood of Jesus,
freedom from selfishness and
freedom to love.

These are the gifts of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
These are the gifts which the Church calls us to we remember and  meditate on this Holy Thursday and every Holy Thursday.

Let us always desire to be free in Christ Jesus
Amen.

Palm Sunday Year C - 2010

Holy Ones I would like to share with you just a few thoughts after the powerful reading of the Passion of our Lord.

We all know the world is just not compassionate.
Everyday people walk by those in need without offering help.
Sometimes when someone is being robbed or mugged and they call for help no one even comes to their aid.

Sometimes people are so afraid of getting involved that they don’t even call the police to get help.
For years and years and years people without means have been refused medical treatment or received substandard medical treatment.

I know of families where the Mom and the Dad had to civilly divorce each other in order for one of them to get the medical care they needed.

When the economy crashed little mercy has been shown for those who, through no fault of their own are unable to make their payments.

Mercy is a rare commodity indeed…
When we fail
When we suffer
When we are confused or have doubts
When we have an illness or addiction
When we are tired or burdened
When we make mistakes
When we have financial problems
The world,  offers us little compassion or understanding.
And yet that’s exactly the opposite of how Jesus would have us live
In the Passion from St. Luke we just heard Jesus offered compassion over and over again.

When he knew he was facing death Jesus did not get lost in his own worries or suffering instead he showed compassion for his disciples and gave them the incredible gift of the Eucharist and his eternal promise to be a part of our lives forever.
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
he said…Then he took the bread, saying,
“This is my body, which will be given for you;
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which will be shed for you. Do this in memory of Me.”
Jesus, a man who was facing a horrible death, was focused on those He loved.
His thought and concerns were not for Himself but rather for his disciples.
When Jesus knew that Peter would betray Him… He didn’t yell at Peter or berate him or reject him,
rather He showed compassion and prayed for him.
Jesus tried to assure him that even though he knew of Peter’s betrayal he still loved him.

“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded
to sift all of you like wheat,
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail;
and once you have turned back,
you must strengthen your brothers.”
When the disciples feel asleep as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane,
Jesus did not tell them how disappointed he was in them but rather encouraged them to get up and  pray,
so that they could remain faithful in the future when they themselves would face the ultimate test.

“Why are you sleeping?
Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”
When Judas arrived and betrayed Him
Jesus tried to search deep within Judas’ soul to see if there was anyway to save Him and in his desperation He said
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Her hoped that Judas would remember their friendship and the life they shared.
Alas, He found only a hardened despairing heart in his former friend and Apostle.
And when the disciples started to fight or battle  for Jesus… He said

“Stop, no more of this!”
Then He showed His compassion once more by touching the  ear of the servant who had been wounded and healing him.
And even when He hung above the world on the cross in agony, He was full of compassion and He begged for His executioners and He begged for each and every one of  us.
when He said.

“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Finally when a criminal, who had led a life ridden with selfishness and violence and sin, begged for mercy in His final moments Jesus said 

“Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The good thief was given incredible compassion indeed.
You know even in the best of times when things are going really well it is not easy to be merciful
and compassionate.
But you can really tell the measure of a man by how compassionate he is 
when he is a difficult situation,
When his life is threatened or
when he suffers.
Only then can you really see how compassionate a person can be.

With all that He faced and all that He suffered Jesus remained compassionate until the end.
The world would be such a better place if all of us did the same.
Let’s be merciful
Let’s be forgiving
Let’s be gracious with those who fail
And
Let’s be compassionate
I encourage you, I beg you, all to invest deeply in Christ’s love for us this week.

I know most of you are going home to be with your families.
Try your best to attend all of the Easter Triduum Liturgies.
On Holy Thursday we remember the Lord’s supper and the Eucharist.
We also remember the gift of humble service that all of us are called to share.
On Friday  we mediate once more on  the love of our God who hangs from a cross.
On Saturday there is the beautiful Easter Vigil it is long but so very meaningful.

In it we trace the history of salvation, renew our baptismal promises and welcome new members into the Church.
All of these will be celebrated on our Campus for those who plan on staying and in your parishes for those who are going home.
Tomorrow night we will have our Traditional Candle Light way of the cross. It is very moving, as different groups of students carry the cross around campus and meditate on Jesus’ final steps on earth.
I encourage everyone here to participate.
Sisters and Brothers…
Please
Lets us all strive with all our heart to be more compassionate like Christ who laid down his life for each and everyone of us.

He laid down his life so that we might be set free from sin and better able to love compassionately .
Amen

Mighty to Save

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Micro Center and Blocked Religious Content

A while ago I blogged about a visit to Micro Center, my favorite computer store, and how I discovered that they were blocking all religious content on the computers in their store. To look at that post click here.
Not long after the my post I received a comment from their corporate headquarters.. I will post their response below.
I am not foolish or vain enough to think I had anything to do with their decision to unblock religious content. They must have made that decision way before my post. They lifted the block a day after my visit to Micro Center, and before I even blogged.  However I am grateful that they did the right thing, and unblocked their internet connection.
THANK YOU MICRO CENTER !!!
Micro Center’s Response…
Hello Fr. Schlageter,
I wanted to thank you for your feed back and make you aware that we have lifted religion from our blocks site.  This was effective 3/1/10. Can you tell me when you visited the store. I could not find a date on the blog.
Thanks,

5th Sunday of Lent Year C - 2010

Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel

Once upon a time… there was a young man who turned 21 and so his friends wanted to give him a gift.

As they gathered in an off-campus house the room was filled with expectation they had already been drinking for an hour when the doorbell rang.

When they answered the door a very tall beautiful woman walked in.

There was no doubt what she had been hired to do.
The room erupted into applause and shouts all of the young men got ready for her performance.

She put down the cd player she was carrying and turned it on
As she began to “Dance”
One of the young men told me the place went wild.

Then all of a sudden one of the men in the back of the room fell silent
The woman doing the “entertaining” looked familiar.

He wasn’t completely sure.. but pretty sure that he had gone to grade school with her and that they had been in 4^th grade together.

He hadn’t seen her in years.
He didn’t know what to do
He tried to watch her more closely
and then their eyes met and there was a flash of recognition in her face.

Later she told him she was panicking inside because she recognized him and didn’t know what to do.

As she danced on, the young man’s mind raced back to the memories of their youth and all the happiness and innocence they had enjoyed.

He remembered what she looked like in 4^th grade when they were in the same class.

He pictured her running around on the playground.
Just as she was about to make her dance more interesting to the gawkers,
He could take no more,
and he stood up and he covered her with his sweatshirt and escorted her out of the room.

Everyone was yelling at him he yelled back at them to shut up and that he knew her.

He took her to the back of the house and turned his back as she got dressed.

He hugged her and she began to cry in his arms.

He stood up because he knew she was a person,
someone’s daughter,
someone’s sister, and his friend.

He remembered her as a beautiful little girl.
He understood she was person not a thing,
not an object,
and he was ashamed of himself and how he had acted before he recognized her.

She cried in his arms because she also understood that she was a person,
not a thing or an object
even though she had been acting like one.

She understood that she had been using the men in the room as much as they were using her.

He went back into the room…
and started to gather up the rest of her stuff
it was really awkward.

Some still were angry,
Some had left,
It was clear that others were also ashamed.

It seemed that a lot of the young men had finally understood what had happened..

No one yelled at him as he gathered her clothes and CD player.

Then he took her out the back door so she would not have to pass by them again and she drove away.

I’m not sure if they ever saw each other again…

I don’t know how the story ended.
But I do know what happened on that 21^st birthday and it was powerful.

The men in the gospel did not see the woman caught in adultery as a person
she was not important to them.

In a similar way she was someone they wanted to use like the boys in the house.
They wanted to use her to entrap Jesus.

They felt that her sins had somehow removed her humanity and her dignity.

The men in the Gospel felt justified in using her because she was damaged goods.

As the woman caught in adultery stood there before all of them
filled with fear and ashamed.

Jesus didn’t deny her sinfulness,
He did not deny her brokenness,
Jesus didn’t deny that what she had done merited punishment.
He didn’t contradict the law.

Jesus simply held up a mirror so that all of the men
who were filled with anger and self righteousness in their hearts,
and all of the men with stones in their hands
could see and understand that they themselves were really not much better than her.

The oldest men left first because they had the most sins.
No stones were thrown that day.
Just like the dance was not completed at that party.

At that birthday party and in the field.
They all left in silence.

You know it is so easy to get fired up about other people’s sins.

It is so easy to think ourselves superior, better than others.

It is so easy to lose sight of the humanity of poor and the broken the addicted, the fallen sinners, those in our jails, even the sexual sinners.

How often do we refer to people as losers.
And if we don’t say it sadly we often think of it.

The questions that the Gospel forces us to ask ourselves are two fold.

The first is simply,
How can we ever pick up a stone to throw at anyone else?
How can we?
With all of our sins how can we judge anyone else?

The second is just as hard,
Would we have enough love to stand up and  cover up someone else’s shame?

Would we have to courage to stand up and say I know her.

The young man helped his friends see the woman’s humanity
Jesus helped everyone present see the humanity of woman caught in adultery.

Jesus also made them see themselves.

Let the one among us without sin cast the first stone.

Amen.

A Homily on the Vigil of the Feast of St. Joseph

 

Once upon a time in the not too distant past I had a very interesting conversation with a young man.

I approached him because I heard that he had just had a great disappointment in his life and I was wondering how he was doing.

When I asked him how he was he said...
Look how great I look who wouldn’t be happy?

His demeanor and his manner betrayed how miserable he was.
I wanted to say to him you are more than your muscles and your looks,
but I knew he was just not in a place to understand.

I pressed a little harder seeing if he would be brave enough to share his pain…
and he said with a little frustration in his voice…

Don’t you get it with abs like these I can get any girl I want?

I was amazed at his frankness but saddened by his loneliness.

Another young man was talking to me about a girl he was surprised he was starting to like.

The only problem he said that she had slept in double digits.. it took me a while to understand what  “slept in double digits.”meant.

When I finally understood I asked him what his digits were and he responded that was different,
men were supposed to have double digits.

He enjoyed her company but he wasn’t sure if he should date this girl because people thought that she was dirty and he was concerned about his reputation.

You don’t have to walk far on any campus to hear about beer.

Beer that magical yellow liquid which makes life grand.

Beer, fun in a bottle, happiness in a bottle, sociability in a bottle.

So many young men depend or are dependent on beer to dance, to talk to women, to have fun.

It almost seems that if something freaky happened and all of the beer in the world disappeared men would lose all hope of happiness or fun on a Friday night.

When I asked one young man about his goals in life he responded they are plain and simple fr. Bob,

Money I want Money…..
I will work hard, to get ahead of everyone no matter what it takes.

I will make a name for myself and while I am still young I will retire with my money so that I can have fun.

There was no mention of love, or relationship or the meaning of life…

At Ask Men.com they did what they call the Great Male Survey

48 % of Men said they would dump their girlfriend if she got fat.
(Shallow to be sure)
30% Said the would cheat on their girlfriend if there was no chance that she would find out.
(What a painful lack of faithfulness)

48% said they would look at her email or text messages without her knowing.
(Shows a lot of fear)

63% said they felt that living together before marriage was a good way to find out if it would work.

11% Thought living together was morally wrong.
(Statistics have repeatedly shown that people who live together before marriage have a higher rate of divorce)

51% Said that a relationship cannot survive without good regular sex.
What can we deduce from everything listed above?

It would seem that our culture’s idea of an ideal man is someone who spends exorbitant time at the gym caring for himself.

The ideal man is single and on the prowl for women and casual sexual relationships.

The average man wants to have lots of fun which is almost always or at least frequently chemically induced.

Being dependent on chemicals for happiness doesn’t seem to be a sign of strength to me.

Men self-absorbed by their looks, and vain to an extreme

Men Desiring more shallow relationships and less commitment.

Men who openly live by a double standard

Men who are Dependent

Are these really the type of men we want to be ?
I may be naïve but I don’t believe that they represent the men that I know.
I don’t think so…

Most of us in the chapel care about relationships
I would propose that most of us want to be faithful.

Most of us want to be good husbands.
Most men want to be exemplar fathers.

And to help you do so….

I would like to propose to you another example of Manhood who might seem a little out of place at Ask Men.com

His name is..

Joseph the Worker
Joseph of the House of David
Joseph the Betrothed
Joseph the foster child of Jesus

Even though he never speaks in the gospel we know a lot about him.

He was a Man of faith and a man of prayer.
He believed that God loved him and cared for him.

He believed that God cared enough to communicate with in him in a dream.

He was a man willing to take risks.
He took a huge risk in standing by Mary.
He could have been accused of being the father and
ostracized by the community.

He was a caring man
Joseph cared for Mary and he cared for Jesus

He provided as best as he could
When there was no room in the inn he improvised
and his son was born in a manger.

He was strong and he protected his young family
from Herod.
He loved them so much he took his little family on a perilous journey to Egypt.

Joseph was poor… never made a lot of money
he could afford only two turtle doves as an offering for Jesus at the Presentation

Joseph must have spent lots of time with his son
He Taught him a trade
he must have been good at it because they also called him Joseph the Carpenter.

Joseph
Transmitted the faith
He modeled what it was to be a man for Jesus

And it is impossible to see Jesus and not see the shadow of Joseph his father…

Joseph the man who gave him a generous heart a loving heart and strong faith.

Gentlemen sometimes especially when you are young

A worldly understanding of what it means to be a man is so attractive.

It is fast paced
And filled with excitement
There is the thrill of the hunt and the conquest

Some modern men live their life as if it is all about them all about their needs, their wants, etc.
others live their lives by giving it to others.

Don’t be taken in.

If you want to be a man like St. Joseph
you will have to spend your life not thinking about yourself but rather

looking for ways to pour out your life for those precious souls that God has given you to love.

That’s how St. Joseph lived

Let us go and do the same.

With all I Am...... AMEN

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Benedict XVI on the Priesthood... words to ponder for sure.

 PRIESTS: COMPLETE ADHERENCE TO CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 12 MAR 2010 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received participants in a theological congress promoted by the Congregation for the Clergy, and which is being held on 11 and 12 March in the Pontifical Lateran University on the theme: "Faithfulness of Christ, faithfulness of Priests".

  In a time such as our own, said the Pope, "it is important clearly to bear in mind the theological specificity of ordained ministry, in order not to surrender to the temptation of reducing it to predominant cultural models. In the context of widespread secularisation which progressively tends to exclude God from the public sphere and from the shared social conscience, the priest often appears 'removed' from common sense". Yet , the Pope went on, "it is important to avoid a dangerous reductionism which, over recent decades ... has presented the priest almost as a 'social worker', with the risk of betraying the very Priesthood of Christ.

  "Just as the hermeneutic of continuity is revealing itself to be ever more important for an adequate understanding of the texts of Vatican Council II", he added, "in the same way we see the need for a hermeneutic we could describe as 'of priestly continuity', one which, starting from Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, and over the two thousand years of history, greatness, sanctity, culture and piety which the Priesthood has given the world, comes down to our own day".

  Benedict XVI affirmed that "it is particularly important that the call to participate in the one Priesthood of Christ in ordained Ministry should flower from the 'charism of prophecy'. There is great need for priests who speak of God to the world and who present the world to God; men not subject to ephemeral cultural fashions, but capable of authentically living the freedom that only the certainty of belonging to God can give. ... And the prophecy most necessary today is that of faithfulness" which "leads us to live our priesthood in complete adherence to Christ and the Church".

  Priests, the Holy Father continued, "must be careful to distance themselves from the predominant mentality which tends to associate the value of Ministry not with its being, but with its function". Our "ontological association with God", he said "is the right framework in which to understand and reaffirm, also in our own time, the value of celibacy which in the Latin Church is a charism imposed by Holy Orders, and is held in great esteem by the Oriental Churches. ... It is an expression of the gift of the self to God and to others".

  "The vocation of priests is an exalted one, and remains a great mystery. ... Our limitations and weaknesses must induce us to live and safeguard this precious gift with great faith, a gift with which Christ configured us to Himself, making us participants in His mission of salvation. Indeed, the understanding of priestly ministry is linked to faith and requires, ever more strongly, a radical continuity between formation in seminaries and permanent formation".

  The Holy Father concluded by telling his audience that "the men and women of our time ask us only to be priests to the full, nothing else. The lay faithful will be able to meet their human needs in many other people, but only in the priest will they find that Word of God which must always be on his lips, the Mercy of the Father abundantly and gratuitously distributed in the Sacrament of Penance, and the bread of new life".
AC/PRIESTHOOD/...

Why Not ?

If Ben Linus can receive forgiveness who can't.... (Residence Hall Confessions)

LOST - Ben Linus experiences redemption check it out... WOW

Here's Residence Hall Confession Schedule if Ben Linus can do it so can you !!!

For all you Lost fans here is a great podcast click on March 11th for the episode of Ben's Redemption.
My Son who was LOST is now found. Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

4th Sunday of Lent Year C - 2010

Today’s passage from the Gospel is probably one of the best know parables in the New Testament.
It is  so well known because all of us can relate to it .
Put plain and simply we are all sinners, all of us.

Maybe we didn’t prematurely take our inheritance and run through it with reckless abandon, but all of us have made mistakes and some of them have been big.
Sad but true, notice the picture up above.
many of us still carry these mistakes in the secret of our hearts.

Many fear that their sins can never be forgiven.

The purpose of this parable is to convince us that they can,
our sins can be forgiven!
And because we have heard and read this passage so many times,
sometimes we run the risk of not taking it seriously,
not listening to it attentively
Not pondering its meaning.
You know the drill, we think to ourselves,
Oh I heard this one already.
I know how the story ends, he gets forgiven.
Sadly many times we just fade out when the Gospel is proclaimed.
This week I read a different commentary and it led me more deeply into the mystery of the parable.
When the prodigal son came home and before he could even complete his apology the father gave him three gifts.
The gifts are very significant and their meaning is important.
The first is a robe. By clothing his son in a fine robe he restores his son’s honor.

People can no longer see the effects of his sin on his body on his person.
By clothing him in that find robe the father is saying to his son “You have my respect, You have my regard, my love.”

And not only is he saying this to his son he is saying the same thing to anyone who sees the son so finely clothed.

By giving him a ring the father is restoring his sonship.
The ring was a sign of a person’s authority.  
 
By giving the Son the ring he was showing the son and everyone who saw the ring that even with all of his failures the son had his complete confidence.
People signed things with the seal of a ring.
Putting the ring on his finger was like saying my son can act in my name and speak in my place.
Finally the son had hoped to come home as a hired servant or slave.

By putting shoes on his feet the Father welcomes him home as a member of the family.

Slaves or servants didn’t wear shoes only the members of the family did.

The father’s love,
the father’s mercy,
the father’s trust were so radical
that it probably left everyone who heard Jesus proclaim this parable speechless
or incredulous.

How could anyone forgive that much they must have asked themselves?
Jesus told us that story not because it was something that simply happened in the past but rather it is something that happens everyday with God.

The church is made up of sinners,
All of  us need forgiveness
And all of us can be forgiven.
Our dignity, 
Our honor,
Our privilege to speak on behalf of God and boldly proclaim the truth of the Gospel,
Our sonship or daughtership, (if there is such a word)
can be restored no matter what.
All we have to do is ask.
The prodigal son wasn’t even able to finish his speech so quick was the father to forgive.
Forgiveness can be ours.

What holds us back from asking for the mercy all of us so desperately need?

Some people haven’t gone to confession in years
Why?

What’s holding us back from the sacrament of  forgiveness?
 
What’s holding us back from meeting the loving father on the way home.

You know in Cardinal George’s new book “The difference that God” makes he expressed a profound thought. and I paraphrase it.
The world permits everything but forgives nothing
God and God’s church do not permit everything but forgives EVERYTHING.
How true, how true indeed. 
THANKS BE TO GOD !!!

Secondly and just as important,
just like radical forgiveness is our for the asking,

We must be willing to forgive.
We must be willing to forgive quickly.
We must be willing to forgive completely.
We must be willing to let go of our past hurts.
LET THEM GO.

Are any of you following Lost. In the last show Ben Linus was about to be killed because he killed Jacob and when he explains how it all happened and asks for forgiveness he is immediately forgiven and welcomed  back into the community. WOW.
We must be willing forgive with reckless abandon just like the loving father in the story.
Finally
The parable of the Prodigal Son is the Story of three people.
One poor broken  soul who dared to even hope for forgiveness.  (Hopefully that’s us)

One loving Father who is watching and waiting for even a glimpse of his lost Son (That’s God)
And probably the poorest soul of all,
the older brother who is so lost in himself  so angry, filled with rage that he refused even to think of forgiving.

God forbid, God forbid that we should ever follow his sad lonely angry example.

Which one of these people are we..
and
Which one should we be?
Oh and by the way did you hear the first few lines of the Gospel or where you already zoning out?
The Pharisees were upset because Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them.
When is the last time that we welcomed sinners and ate with them?
Amen

CUA's Southside aka Conaty Spellman and Spaulding Halls are coming down...

In case you haven't seen the incredible plans for the redevelopment here is a link with lots of pictures

6 Essential Components of Catholic Social Teaching from Archbishop Dolan

1. God comes first. "His ways, His law have dominion."

2. The innate dignity of every individual human person. Every man and woman is made in the image and likeness of God and has an "eternal destiny" and a "divine character."

3. The common good is always normative. "We are never in it just for myself but for ourselves."

4. Solidarity. "We are members of a family, and we have a special duty to the poor among us."

5. Subsidiarity. "One of the geniuses of Catholic social teaching is the closer you are to the grassroots, the better you are."

6. Supreme duty to bring values, God's truth and our principles into the public square. There can be no "cleavage" between what we believe and how we act

Keeping a Holy Lent (Sent to me by a CUA Alumnus)

Fast From-Feast On

• Fast from judging others; Feast on the Christ dwelling in them.
• Fast from emphasis on differences; Feast on the unity of life.
• Fast from apparent darkness; Feast on the reality of light.
• Fast from thoughts of illness; Feast on the healing power of God.
• Fast from words that pollute; Feast on phrases that purify.
• Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude.
• Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
• Fast from pessimism; Feast on optimism.
• Fast from worry; Feast on divine order.
• Fast from complaining; Feast on appreciation.
• Fast from negatives; Feast on affirmatives.
• Fast from unrelenting pressures; Feast on unceasing prayer.
• Fast from hostility; Feast on non-resistance.
• Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
• Fast from self-concern; Feast on compassion for others.
• Fast from personal anxiety; Feast on eternal truth.
• Fast from discouragement; Feast on hope.
• Fast from facts that depress; Feast on verities that uplift.
• Fast from lethargy; Feast on enthusiasm.
• Fast from thoughts that weaken; Feast on promises that inspire.
• Fast from shadows of sorrow; Feast on the sunlight of serenity.
• Fast from idle gossip; Feast on purposeful silence.
• Fast from problems that overwhelm; Feast on prayer that strengthens.
  -William Arthur Ward (American author, teacher and pastor, 1921-1994.)

Content Blocked...

The other day Fr. Andy and I went to my favorite computer store Micro Center. It is an incredible place with aisles and aisles of hardware, a geek's paradise. Now you know why I love to go and browse the aisles.
While Fr. Andy was making his purchases I went over to one of the new computers and decided to see how our Campus Ministry website looked on a big screen. When I typed in the address and hit return to my surprise a message came up telling me that it was blocked because of religious content. I was able to get to the main university website with no problem but when I clicked on the ministry website from the menus on the university homepage it was blocked again.

Then I began to experiment and found to my chagrin that every church site was blocked. The Catholic bishops were blocked the Vatican website was blocked. Anything with words like Catholic, or ministry, or church or synagogue or mosque all blocked as offensive. They were equal opportunity blockers.

When I asked one of the sales people on the floor they were as surprised as me but could offer no explanation, but he said maybe the store didn't want to offend anyone by having access to religious sites. They didn't seem to care that they offended me.

I understand the need to filter adult or violent web content. Sadly I don't think filters are really that effective in doing so but I agree that there is a need to protect children from some of the junk that is on the internet. I was and am really surprised that some filtering software now is set to block religious content as dangerous or offensive.

There seems to be a new secular day dawning. For years I've heard people say that we should not be allowed to express values to others especially if they are based on our religious faith. I guess blocking us from the web is just the next step in the secular world's passion to filter God our of our public discourse. Too bad too bad indeed.

This brought a tear to my eye.... There are so many heroes out there !!!

If the video player doesn't open below than Click Here for some inspiration.

It really is a web… be careful out there…

Because we are on Spring Break (YEAH) I have had a couple of minutes to play around with the internet and download IE 8.
Last night as I went to bed I was listening to Pandora on my Iphone and I marked a song that I liked on my Michael W. Smith station.
This morning when I opened the new browser and used Windows Live, low and behold somehow Windows Live knew what songs I was listening to last night on my Iphone and that I marked a couple of favorites. I know it has been said over and over again but the World Wide Web is exactly that a web. This was however, the first time I feel that I was caught in it. We have to be so careful about what information is being collected about us who can see it.

I don’t mind people knowing what music I like to listen to but I don’t want any data on me or anyone else being collected and broadcast without us even knowing about it.
I for one will be a lot more careful in the future.
It really is a “Brave New World “ out there.
Have a great day

With all I am.... very moving...

3rd Sunday of Lent Year C – 2010

Recently I celebrated Mass for our Men’s Rugby team.

During the homily I asked the gentlemen present what their the biggest challenge to holiness is.

In other words what is the biggest sin or temptation for a young adult man who plays rugby.

Without a moment of hesitation one young man blurted out “Sex”

There seemed to be a general agreement that “Sex or Lust” was their biggest challenge or struggle.

While I believe living a holy, loving, chaste life is a challenge for everyone.
I did not agree the young man’s conclusion.

I have come to believe that the greatest challenge to holiness for young adult men, or young adult women or anyone
is the temptation put off holiness until tomorrow.

It is so easy, so tempting if you will,
to think,
I’m young,
I’m strong,
I’m healthy,
I’m whatever,
and I have time, lots of time to get holy.

I have met very few people who don’t want to be good people.
Everyone wants to be a good person,
a good husband, or wife
a good parent,
a good employee.

Once someone understands God’s word.
I’ve met very few people who don’t want to be obedient to it ….. some day.

Most of us know what it right and what is wrong
but we just baulk at putting it into practice.

Our temptation is simply to put it off.

That is precisely what Jesus is speaking about today.

In the beginning of the Gospel passage Jesus recounts two tragedies.

The first thing he does is to remove the thought that these tragedies are the fault of the people who were hurt.

During Jesus’ time well being some times was equated with God’s favor
and tragedy or sickness was equated with a personal sin or fault.

People simply thought that if.. your are blind or
if you are crippled or
if you are sick
it was because of your sin or the sin of someone close to you.

There are several examples in the Gospel where Jesus fought that misconception.
Personal tragedy cannot always be equated with personal sin or fault.

Jesus simply uses these to tragedies to try to convince us of the need to be ready.

You never know when a tower is going to fall on you.

You never know when you are going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time like the Galileans, and suffer the consequences.

In the second part of the Gospel with the story of the fig tree,
Jesus teaches that God is patient
Yes God is indeed patient.
God is very patient.

The fig tree which didn’t produce any fruit was not cut down.

It was given another chance.

It was cared for and watered and fertilized
and given more attention
but it still had to bear fruit.

So you see Jesus is in reality warning us about the sin of presumption
the presumption to take God’s mercy for granted.

The temptations to put off trying to live holy lives until…
When we are old…
When we are married…
When we have the privilege and responsibility of parenting…
Whenever…
are very common.

The warning of Jesus in today’s Gospel should give us all pause

But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”

Let us resolve to live holy lives.

Holiness… If not now, when
Holiness… If not here, where

Amen