The Divine Physician

You have all probably heard the adage "The first step to over coming a problem is admitting you have one" as this is the first step of the famous 12 step program.  I think that this is very applicable to our spiritual lives as well. 

 Today in the Gospel at Mass we heard that the story of the calling of Levi (Luke 5:27-32). Levi was a Jewish tax collector, a profession that had a sigma surrounding it because they all were known to be scoundrels who would demand more taxes than required. So when Jesus says to Levi( whom we know better as Saint Matthew the Evangelist), "Follow Me" it is pretty scandalous to the Jewish leaders like the pharisees and the scribes. When Jesus calls him Levi immediately left everything, "got up and followed Him." 

Levi has an immediate conversion at the call of that Divine Teacher. This conversion was something amazing obviously because soon there after he threw a banquet at his house, and he invited all of his old friends, "the tax collectors and sinners." He had encountered something incredible, he had come face to face with the Living God and it had changed his life and he want to bring everyone around him with him into this friendship with God so he invited them to his house to meet Jesus.  And if his relationship with one tax collector made the pharisees angry, what do you think Jesus dining with them looked like?!

They said to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?" They could not understand why he would do this, it was against wrong to spend time with sinners because it was feared that you would also become unclean with sin. Jesus responded to them, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners." Jesus' whole mission was about associating with those who were sick, and broken and sinful. He could not help those who were like the pharisees and scribes, because they thought they were too righteous. They were unable to understand his message or hear his call because their hearts were so hardened by arrogance and formalism. The sinners knew they were not righteous, they knew they were broken, they knew that their lives were not as they should be. And that is why Jesus could transform them, and give them the new life of grace he offered. They new they were sick, so they could receive healing from the Divine Physician.

They admitted they were sinners, and so could overcome the problem. The pharisees could not and so they were left with nothing but the coldness of the law which could not save them. Who are we more like? How often do we rationalize and justify our sinfulness away? How often do we try and ignore those area where we need redemption and forgiveness? Are we will to admit the truth about ourselves? 

We are all broken, every human being ever born (save the Immaculate Conception Herself) has been born with the disease of sin and we cannot get rid of it on our own. We need the medicine of the Divine Physician Jesus Christ. The only medicine for our sinfulness is the Waters of Baptism, the Absolution of Confession, and the Sacred Host of Communion. The first step to overcoming our sinfulness is to accept the fact that we are sinners! Only when we come to the Lord in humble admission of the fact that we are fallen persons will we be healed. He came to heal us, but we have to let Him work in our lives through the sacraments of grace.  Only then will we be freed from the sickness of Adam and Eve.  

I know going to the doctor can be a scary experience- and at times the prescriptions of the Divine Physician are not always the easiest to swallow (like chastity, humility, temperance, fasting)- but he knows his patients well (he did make us!) and if we trust in Him we will find that the sickness in our souls will be replaced by the new life of grace and Divine Friendship!

In Chains

It was my first "big boy" bike. I was so excited for it to get warmer so I could go outside and test it on our back patio. It was a huffy, all black with a leather seat for its owner, me. Once springtime hit and my dad screwed on the training wheels, I was set to go!

I want to say that I was four or five, but I can't remember. What I do remember is this: one hot summer day I was racing around the back patio on my three-wheeler when disaster struck. As I went to push my right leg down hard onto the petal, my foot slipped, and got jammed between the lower bar and the bike chain. Try as I ought, I couldn't fight back the tears as the chain that once fueled my need for speed now held me captive in the sweltering heat. Since my mom is a nurse and my father's a businessman, I was left with the twenty-something babysitter, who hadn't a clue about bike chains. After her attempts to free my proved futile, my tears flowed once again, nearly hissing as they hit the burning pavement.

I always liked our neighbors from across the street; my babysitter had called the mom, who quickly came over and consoled me. She offered a solution that would ease my leg out of its prison, and it came straight from the kitchen. Before I knew it she had covered my leg from the knee down in a thick film of Crisco, and she was pulling on my leg to get it free. After a few minutes, we gave up exhausted and smelling like baking goods.

Finally, my dad was called at work; he recently told me his side of the story. After being told that I was in a bicycle accident, my dad rushed home, preparing for some broken bones or deep cuts. Instead, all he found was his five year old with a bruised ego, unable to ride because his leg was pinched to the side of the bike. Gently and reassuringly he took out the tool box, and in his oxford shirt and tie, unscrewed the chain from its holder, thus freeing his first born from further suffering. After giving me a hug and making sure I was all right, he said goodbye to the babysitter and our neighbor and headed back into the office. Needless to say, the bike chain wasn't reattached; I wasn't in any hurry to be pedaling anytime soon.

I love this story because it truly captures our relationship with God. Here we are on this earth, innocent and free, when suddenly we find ourselves chained up, restricted by sin or suffering, perhaps both. We cry for help, and when those near us aren't able to remove our chains, we remember our Father who's Uptown, just a "call" away. He'll come down and lovingly help us, freeing us from the bonds of sin, or assuring us that we will grow closer to Him in our suffering. Most importantly, He never leaves our side; we are His "office."

Granted the analogy has its faults, but you get the picture. God is good! He rescues us from the power of darkness, says St. Paul (Colassians 1:13), and did so in order that we could know, love, and serve He and His people. He sent His Son to forgive our sins; in doing so He was forced, yet freely chose, to be nailed to a cross, all out of love. Que bella.

Our little blog can't offer much, but we'll share all that we can about Christ and His undying love for us. This season of Lent helps prepare us for Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and reminds us that these events have real meaning for us today. We can't live our lives oblivious to the chain pinching into our flesh (or the Crisco smeared everywhere) and expect to find happiness, peace, fulfillment. We will only truly find these things in Christ.

So there's something to consider as you munch on your fish sticks or cheese pizza. Carry Christ with you throughout Lent, as He carried your sins upon the Cross. Blessings!

So Imagine You Are a Whale...

So imagine that you are whale...

I know this seems a little bit strange; I can understand your confusion. This same scenario was given to me about a year ago by a priest that I know. I was talking to him about discernment, and how confused I was about it all. I was have a difficult time hearing what the Lord was calling me to do. After hearing me ramble on for a while about all my confusion and doubt, he said to me, "So imagine that you are a whale, I know it is weird but stick with it." 

He told me that one day he way praying about that great line of our Lord to Saint Peter  in Saint Luke Gospel (5:4)"duc in altum" -put into the deep. As he prayed about it he saw himself as a whale, but he was tied up with all sorts of buoys that were causing him to float at the surface of the water. He heard these words again and again- duc in altum, duc in altum. He realized that the Lord was calling him to leave the surface waters and to dive down into the deep waters of the Divine Life, of relationship with God. However, he could not because of all the buoys that were holding him back.

He then told me to imagine I was a whale, as he had, and to think about the different things in my life that are holding me back from putting in the deep waters of Christ's love. 

This image came back to me yesterday as I was reflecting on the beginning of Lent, this wonderful season of conversion and penance. I know that there are so many things that I have gotten tangled up in- the little selfish things, the busyness, the distractions. We all have them in some form or another, and these next forty days are a time for us to cut the ties to those things that are holding us back from putting out into the deep, from diving into our relationship with Christ, from truly living out our vocations. 

As this holy season begins, let us take a few minutes to look at our lives, and to see what buoys we might be attached to, what things, or people, or vices are holding me back from undivided devotion and love of Jesus. Let us ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit, that same Spirit who led Christ into the desert to fast and pray, to be with us during this Lent and to help us dive deeply into the infinite waters of the Mystery of the God of Love.

So now it is your turn; imagine you are a whale...

Lent!

Well, it's finally here. Lent! Put away the multi-colored beads and leftover King Cake and welcome Lent, the forty or so days leading up to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Today's not a day for heads to be burdened with hangovers but instead to bear the Sign of the Cross, smudged with ashes upon our foreheads. So, basically on Ash Wednesday all Catholics summarily become "Debby-downers."

Not at all! Lent is a tremendous, grace-filled opportunity given to us by the Church! If we allow and enter into the liturgical season, we can see how Lent can restore, renew! During Lent, we bring our souls in for a routine inspection, only to find that the sluggishness we've felt for some time is due to the sludge that has crept into our vehicle of faith, and has been impeding our encounter with our Savior. If our mechanic tells us that we are "a quart low," wouldn't we agree to make a few sacrifices to cover the cost of getting our machine up-and-running again?

Lent's not merely a Catholic version of New Year's resolutions, either. It's a chance to reflect on our lives and yes, "give up" things, but also to engage our faith in ways beyond what's customary. So you go to Mass once a week? Try going two or even three times! So you make visits to the Blessed Sacrament? Try making one each day throughout Lent! Giving up sweets is nice, but being sweet to the old lady in the apartment next door is far greater. In our attempts to become holier, we see that these little sacrifices will lead us to reflect upon and join ourselves to the one true sacrifice, Christ's death on a cross.

Let's take a quick break and hear from Lent's sponsor, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. While somewhat intimidating, confession is a sure-fire way of encountering Jesus; in this treasured sacrament He truly wipes away all sin, all our transgressions, and invites us to sin no more! He takes us by the hand and walks us through each moment of every day to help us see where we fell short or "missed the mark." Tears of joy stream freely from our eyes as if to show how complete we have become through our forgiveness in this sacrament; our tears show that we are filled to the point of overflowing.

Don't believe me? Here's what our favorite sisters have to say about this beautiful sacrament.

Lent is also a time to regain focus, to sit still for a time and find Jesus all over again. He loves us so much that He leads by example; Jesus, after His baptism, went to the desert for 40 days to prepare for His ministry (Luke 4). We, too, should take these 40 days and acknowledge our shortcomings, think of ways to be better disciples, and begin to renew ourselves through Christ so that we may serve Him and His people once more! And if we should become distressed over the difficulty or the temptations which accompany our attempt to follow Christ, we need not look farther than the Israelites who wandered 40 years in the wilderness. Throughout their strenuous sojourn before going to the Promised Land, God was with them, beckoning them to follow His command so that they could one day rest in a land "where you will lack nothing" (Deut. 8:9). Lent, while comparable to wilderness, will lead us to life everlasting with Christ in heaven.

Perhaps the aforementioned reasons are what prompted Archbishop Dolan to begin one of his homilies by saying, "I like Lent." We love it too, as we march around our cities and towns, schools and office buildings with big, black smudges on our foreheads and joy in our hearts. We're joyous because we remember that Jesus loves us so much that He embraced the Cross, permitted nails to be driven into His hands and feet, and died a criminal's death. The same people that think we're bizarre for our smudges of burn palms must also think we're certifiable for thinking that some fanatic 2,000 years ago is relevant. Let's show them through our love that Christ is not only relevant, but worth dying for. 

A blessed Ash Wednesday, and a fruitful Lent!

A Grain of Incense

Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of an incredible saint from the very beginnings of the faith- Polycarp of Smyrna. I know it may sound at first like a type of fish, but this guy's the real deal. He learned about Jesus from the mouth of the Beloved Disciple John the Evangelist. Polycarp zealously proclaimed the Gospel through his ministry as the Bishop of Smyrna (in modern day Turkey). However, in his old age (86!) Polycarp was captured and sentenced to death in a great persecution that broke out in this region. 

This is the account of his death which was written by a witness of the Church of Smyrna and sent throughout the Empire spreading the news of this holy martyr:

"When the fire was ready, and he had divested himself of all his clothes and unfastened his belt, he tried to take off his shoes, though he was not heretofore in the habit of doing this because [each of] the faithful always vied with one another as to which of them would be first to touch his body. For he had always been honored, even before his martyrdom, for his holy life. Straight-way then, they set about him the material prepared for the pyre. And when they were about to nail him also, he said: "Leave me as I am. For he who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from the nails."

So they did not nail him, but tied him. And with his hands put behind him and tied, like a noble ram out of a great flock ready for sacrifice, a burnt offering ready and acceptable to God, he looked up to heaven and said:

"Lord God Almighty, Father of thy beloved and blessed Servant Jesus Christ, through whom we have received full knowledge of thee, 'the God of angels and powers and all creation and of the whole race of the righteous who live in thy presence: I bless thee, because thou hast deemed me worthy of this day and hour, to take my part in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, for 'resurrection to eternal life’ of soul and body in the immortality of the Holy Spirit; among whom may I be received in thy presence this day as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, just as thou hast prepared and revealed beforehand and fulfilled, thou that art the true God without any falsehood. For this and for everything I praise thee, I bless thee, I glorify thee, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, thy beloved Servant, through whom be glory to thee with him and Holy Spirit both now and unto the ages to come. Amen."

And when he had concluded the Amen and finished his prayer, the men attending to the fire lighted it. And when the flame flashed forth, we saw a miracle, we to whom it was given to see. And we are preserved in order to relate to the rest what happened. For the fire made the shape of a vaulted chamber, like a ship's sail filled by the wind, and made a wall around the body of the martyr. And he was in the midst, not as burning flesh, but as bread baking or as gold and silver refined in a furnace. And we perceived such a sweet aroma as the breath of incense or some other precious spice.

 At length, when the lawless men saw that his body could not be consumed by the fire, they commanded an executioner to go to him and stab him with a dagger. And when he did this [a dove and] a great quantity of blood came forth, so that the fire was quenched and the whole crowd marveled that there should be such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect. And certainly the most admirable Polycarp was one of these [elect], in whose times among us he showed himself an apostolic and prophetic teacher and bishop of the Catholic Church in Smyrna."

A truly incredible account of an even more incredible man of God. This story reminded me of a line from Saint Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians where he says, "We are Christ's incense offered to God, making manifest both those who are achieving salvation and those who are on the road to ruin, as a deadly fume where it finds death, as a life-giving perfume where it finds life." (2 Cor. 2:15-16) It is such a beautiful image that Saint Paul paints of our lives being offered, like a grain of incense on the burning coals of Divine Love, for the praise and glory of God. Polycarp truly embodied this not only in his martyrdom when his burning body sent off a "sweet aroma like a precious incense," but during the entirety of his life lived as a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

May we, as Lent draws near, think about how we can more perfectly live out our vocations as Christians so that our lives may be as "a sweet aroma of a precious incense" rising up to the Lord.

On Dolan

I really can't describe how pleased I am that Archbishop Timothy Michael Dolan has been appointed the tenth archbishop of New York. At a time when Catholicism in America can best be compared to a fatigued runner trying to catch its breath in the midst of a race to preserve the Gospel and its proclamation in the Twenty-First Century, Dolan is a marathon runner with a fresh pair of lungs.

Archbishop Dolan is nothing short of an enigma; many in the Church can't understand his resilience in spite of all his responsibilities, not to mention the fact that he treats everyone as though they're long-time friends. All heads turn when he enters a room (or a sacristy); he inadvertently commands their attention with his prominent stature, warm smile, and a sincere compassion for bringing his faithful to Jesus Christ.

I've had the privilege to meet Archbishop Dolan on occasion before a Mass or in a gathering of seminarians, and have always been thoroughly impressed. In a long line of seminarians he'll make the point to stop, talk, and give some encouragement. Thank God the Vatican chose this man of humble origins to lead the faithful of New York and Stateside Catholicism into a future filled with many moral issues, many matters of faith, ones which need a true shepherd to lead.

This servant of the Lord will not disappoint. His episcopal motto, taken from words spoken by Peter in John's Gospel, captures where or to whom he will lead his new archdiocese:

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life" (6:68).

Congratulations to you, Archbishop Dolan. Please know of our prayers as you take on this new endeavor, all for the sake of Jesus Christ and his flock!

Being a Bridge

I think one of the reasons I wanted to become a priest is because I wanted to be bridge between people and God. Also, I also wanted to bridge people with other people. More than anything, I think that is what priests do, first off in the sacraments, but also in sick visits, parish picnics, faith sharing groups, catechism classes, and sports games. Have you ever seen a priest's calendar? It's more back than white with dates, names, and places scribbled into every corner. A priest's day is filled with meetings, masses, and meals--traveling from one bridging event to another, always bringing with him the face of Christ. Sometimes as a seminarian I get bogged down. I think to myself, this lifestyle seems daunting. I wonder how I will ever survive. At times it just seems way too ¨other person¨oriented. I worry, how as a priest could I ever ¨get ahead¨ in life if I spend almost my whole day communicating with others?

But something always tends to happen. I end up passing through some event that feeds my desire and extinguishes my fears. To quote a good friend of mine, ¨God is a verb.¨ This week God acted in the form of 1,500 Hondurans and 25 gringos from Cleveland.

On Monday a group from Cleveland traveled through Honduras on a week long medical brigade. For three days the group of 25, consisting of doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, a Jesuit, and seminarians, set up shop in an abandoned building in El Progreso. They saw over 1,500 patients, mostly with colds, head aches, stomach parasites, teeth extractions, and high blood pressure. News of the clinic traveled fast, and by the end of the first day, Old folks, single mothers with four kids, students, and sweat shop workers were lined up and waiting for up to two hours for a simple, ten minute visit. (It turned out to be great week for business for the ice cream vendor who set up shop next to the clinic). I showed up to the chaos early on the first morning and was quickly drafted into service. I timidly walked in as the doctors and nurses were scurrying around trying to find chairs, medicines, papers.

Some guy in scrubs walked past me and suddenly stopped.

¨Do you speak English?¨

¨Uh, Yeah. I'm actually from the U.S.¨

¨Oh, sorry 'bout that. Man, you've got a pretty nice tan. But anyway, then, can you speak Spanish?¨

¨Enough I gue...¨

¨Good. We really could use some more translators. Go in that room right there and you'll be the translator for Katie. Thanks a lot.¨

¨Um, okay.¨

To my surprise I ended up sitting in a cramped corner room translating between the most caring nurse in the world, Katie, and hundreds of grateful, polite Hondurans for the next three days. It was an amazing experience.

To the doctor I translated a woman's pain all through her body, her inability to pay five dollars for her blood pressure medicine, her fear that she might have an STD, her concern for her three year old daughter with a month long cough, and her hope that the doctor can give her something to help. To the patient I translated sorrow for the woman's struggles, a textbook diagnosis of meningitis, and a simple prescription for ibuprofen, an antibiotic, and blood pressure medicine. Each visit was quick but powerful for me. It was an honor to be the bridge between a doctor and her patient. The most powerful part came at the end of the visits.

Getting up form the cheap plastic chair, many patients would shake our hands, grab their children, look into our eyes and say,

¨¡Muchisimas Gracias! ¡Que Dios Les bendiga!¨

I would look over to Katie, smile, exited to share what she said,

¨Uh, Katie, she said, 'Thank you so much! May God bless you!'¨

Katie, being the soft-hearted mother of four boys that she is, would tear up almost everytime. I couldn't help but laugh in joy.

Everytime I would sit back down in amazement and gratitude that I got to be a bridge in both a very practical way and a very spiritual way. I am in no way a master of Spanish, medicine, or theology, but God has graced me with enough to get the message across. It's like that for all of us. We all have gifts that we must use to ¨bridge the gap¨between the world and God as well as the world and itself. Our vocations are not about getting ahead. Our vocations, which lead us to a life of joy, are about getting ourselves and the world connected to reality--the reality of crosses in our daily lives and, all the more, the reality of the resurrection. We will never be masters of any kind, spiritual or temporal. We will always be sinners. Yet there is hope, for more than sinners, we will always be called, by baptism, to be agents of faith, hope, and love. We are called, like Sts. Peter and Paul, to always communicate, to bridge the Gospel with the world around us.

Until next time, my continued prayers.

Peace,

Paul

Evangelium

Ever since I was a little boy going to Sunday school I have been taught that the Gospels are the "Good news"- the good news of Jesus' love for us. And how true this is! But I recently came across something that really transformed by view of the "Good News."

We have to go back to ancient Rome and its emperors whose names we have all learned in school Julius Caesar, Caesar Augustus, Nero, Constantine to name a few. These men were considered to be gods sent come down to rule over the greatest empire on Earth. Their will was the divine will, and if you disagreed with the divine will you had better run and hide! The way that this "divine will" was made known was through these messages which would be sent out across the entire empire. What were these messages called?- Evangelium. 

Here is what the our current Holy Father had to say on this in his incredibe book Jesus of Nazareth:

 "The evangelists designate Jesus' preaching with the term evangelion-  but what does that actually mean? The terms has recently been translated as "good news." That sounds attractive, but it falls short of the order of magnitude of what is actually meant by the word evangelion. 

This term figures into the vocabulary of the Roman emperors, who understood themselves as lords, saviors, and redeemers of the world. The messages issued by the emperor were called in Latin evangelium, regardless of whether or not their content was particularly cheerful or pleasant. The idea was that what comes from the emperor is a saving message, that it is not just a piece of news, but a change of the world for the better."

This same word, evangelium, is that which Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John used to describe  Jesus' message which we find in their writings. If we think about it then, the Gospels to the early apostles was a little more than just the good news! It is good news when I get a good grade on a paper; it is good news when my favourite baseball team wins a game; it is a good news when I find a quarter on the ground- but the message, the life, the redemption offered through Jesus Christ is a little bitter bigger than just good news!

It is, like the message of the caesars, the news that will change the world for the better! 

But how often when we hear the Gospel proclaimed at Mass do we let that word transform us? How often to we let the Word of God penetrate and bring about a change in our hearts? How often does it go in one ear and out the other, as another story that we have heard time and again? Let it not be so! Let the Word of God, the Evangelium of Jesus Christ, change your life! Let the words of hope, and love, and joy become your strength. 

May this Word be for us, what it has been for millions of holy souls throughout the ages- a spark and impetus for conversion, an ever greater turning of our hearts and mind and lives to the Lord! 

Tomorrow when you hear "The Gospel of the Lord" remember you have a true reason to say "Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!"

The Notebook

I'm sorry, but if I ever write a post on the film, "The Notebook," someone please contact me and tell me to hang up my keyboard and retire. The notebook I have in mind does contain a love story however, one between a man and his bride for over twenty-two years.

A priest whom I very much admire told a group of seminarians and me about a custom he began on the day of his ordination and has kept up until this day. Each Mass he celebrates has an intention which he logs in his notebook, along with the date and location where the Mass was held. Page after page is covered in ink, each with numerous stories of souls whom this priest offered up as he elevated the bread and wine to be transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord. 

Earlier this year this priest mentioned how he had the blessing of celebrating his 10,000th Mass. 10,000 masses. That's not a number to be taken lightly, especially since this priest can point to his log of masses and their intentions and thereby remember the situations, the people who came to him with petitions, for their intention to be lifted up at the elevation at Mass. The priest can also look at his own Mass intentions, marking moments of hardship or blessing, and see the love which Christ has had for Him through it all. What a blessing to be able to look at that notebook and reflect on one's vocation! 

For those of us who do not have notebooks (or the resolve to keep one), it's important to remember to make mental notes along the way to discerning or in living our vocation. Each person has landmark events which characterize their life; if we carry these moments with us, good or bad, and offer them to Jesus, we will be strengthened in our desire to carry out God's plan. Just like flipping through the pages of a notebook, we'll be able to see events, intentions, and hopefully Christ in our lives. He'll help us in the pages to come, too, if we allow Him.

What was the intention for the priest's 10,000th Mass, you ask? "In thanksgiving for the gift of the Holy Priesthood," a Mass offering which encapsulates a vocation; to be called to something truly is a gift from God, one for which we should be forever grateful. To think that God calls men and women to the priesthood and religious life, to be his missionaries in distant lands, to create, nurture and protect children made in His image and likeness--it's remarkable!

Whatever "notebook" we use, let's remember the blessings God has given to us so that we may jot them down in our souls and more faithfully follow Him!

A Wife, a Mother, and a Sister

I am suffering from a slight case of writer's block, and a crunch for time! So I decided to stop trying to come up with something ex nihilo, and to turn to the saints. 

May the words of that holy woman of God (a wife, a mother, and a religious sister!) Saint Jane de Chantal (more about her here) offer you some food for prayer today. 

God bless!

"God is so good that he never ceases to work in our hearts to draw us out of ourselves, out of vain and perishable things so that we can receive his grace and give ourselves wholly to him. One person he calls by a sermon, another by an example, this one by some holy reading or by his inspiration alone, others by certain afflictions. In fact he gives his grace to each sufficiently and abundantly our salvation and for growing and maturing in our faith.

Grace never fails us, never leaves us, unless we leave it. Our good God waits for us patiently in our delays, he unceasingly calls us even though we don't answer him; he knocks at the very door of the heart which is shut to him.

When we feel urged to depart from a sin, to leave an imperfection, to correct a negligence, to grow in virtue, to make rapid strides to the perfection of divine love, then, the hours is come for us. Let us arise in haste, let us run to the divine Spouse, accept his grace, benefit by his inspirations it is the hour of our deliverance; let us not delay, let us run...

There occurs to me on this subject a some what amusing comparison. I remember that Monsieur de Chantal was very fond of lying in bed in the morning. I had to rise early, since I had to look after the affairs of the house. When it began to be late, and I had gone back to the bedroom, making noise enough to waken him, so that Mass might be said in the chapel and afterwards the remaining affairs might be seen to, I would become impatient. I would go and draw the bed curtains and call to him that it was late, that he must get up , that the chaplain was vested and was going to begin Mass. Finally I used to take a lighted taper and hold it before his eyes and torment him so much that at last I would waken him and make him get out of bed.

 

What I mean to tell you by this little story is that our Lord does the same with us. After having long and patiently waited for us, and seeing that we are not correcting our faults through the ordinary means, he comes nearer to us, draws the curtain of certain difficulties himself, brings his light right up to our eyes, entreats and urges us so strongly that often he forces us, as if by gentle violence, to arise. And when we feel his touch, and have his light, we must obey him, and rise quickly.

 

When by our negligence we stop benefitting from these precious inspirations sent by the Lord, we may rightly fear that the favorable time will not return for us. The same Lord has said, "A time shall come that you shall seek me and shall not find me; you shall call and I will not answer you." (Proverbs 1:28)

 

Respond to the Lord's attractions whatever it costs you! Heaven suffers violence, and the violent bear it away.(Mt 11:12) We must conquer and overcome ourselves valiantly and follow God when he calls us-faithfully and humbly, working out the work of our salvation with fear and trembling, because the way that leads to life is narrow and few enter it. 

From Her Exhortations, Conferences and Instructions

My Patrol Leader

In Boy Scouts I had a tremendous patrol leader. He was a year older than the scouts my age, but acted like he was far older than that. He gave us responsibilities around our campsite and helped us through our rank advancements. Our patrol leader also showed us how to cook over a fire, how to wear our neckerchiefs, and even how to roll up our canvas tent flaps so we could get a nice breeze in the summer. By teaching us the little things he became a great influence on us younger scouts; we wanted to be just like him and spread all the scout knowledge to younger scouts when we had our own patrols.

My patrol leader is also a great example of evangelization. Whether it be in dutifully cooking endless gallons of tomato sauce for our spaghetti suppers or a quick demonstration on how to tie a Taut-line hitch, he lived as a servant: approachable, affable, dependable, responsible--all things Christ asks from each of us. Because of his great zeal, he inspired others to achieve greatness, to be a source of change. St. Paul reminds us of the merit in being Christ for others: "All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, so that I too may have a share in it" (1 Cor 9:23). We, too, must have a share in Christ by spreading forth His love to the nations, in simple acts of love.

I can't help but smile when I come down to chapel every morning, genuflect, and enter the pew. I usually glance over at my patrol leader and make a goofy face; he smiles and goes back to his prayers. It's funny to think that twelve years ago we were learning how to set campfires; now we're learning how to set souls on fire with love for Christ. Just as he was there to show me "the ropes," my patrol leader continues to be a role model of faith. I look forward to his ordination in two short years, for then, as a priest he will truly live the Boy Scout Oath:

On my honor I will do my best to do my duty, and to obey the Scout Law. To help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Bringing Grain

Yesterday at Mass we heard another one of those famous stories from the beginning of the book of Genesis- the story of Cain and Abel. We all know about Cain's jealousy that led him to commit such a heinous act of fratricide. However, the earlier part of the story is perhaps less known, but it really offers an insight into our lives as believers. 

In the story Cain and Abel each brought to God an offering. Cain brought to God some grain that he had harvested- a fitting offering it would seem- and Abel brought to the Lord a lamb, the best of the flock. God was more satisfied with Abel's offering than with Cain's, which is what caused the murderous jealousy to arise in Cain. 

Now what was it about the offering of Abel that made it more satisfying to God? Is it just a matter of God preferring lamb chops to oatmeal?! Or is there something more? God was certainly happy with the physical type of offering- for Cain was a farmer offering a farmers gift, while Abel was a shepherd offering what a shepherd can. What made the difference between the two was what lay in their hearts. Saint Augustine talks about this in a homily he gave on the First Letter of Saint John, he says, 

There was no charity in Cain; and had there been no charity in Abel, God would not have accepted his sacrifice. For when they had both offered, the one of the fruits of the earth, the other of the offspring of the flock; what think ye, brethren, that God slighted the fruits of the earth, and loved the offspring of the flock? God had not regard to the hands, but saw in the heart: and whom He saw offer with charity, to his sacrifice He had respect; whom He saw offer with envy, from his sacrifice He turned away His eyes. By the good works, then, of Abel, he means only charity: by the evil works of Cain he means only his hatred of his brother.

Augustine gets to the heart of the matter. The reason that God preferred Abel sacrifice to Cain's was because Abel offered his gift to the Lord not out of mere obligation, or half-heartedly, or with jealously, but out of love. Cain's offering was tainted because he offered it not in love, but with jealousy in his heart. How often to we fall into this same sin! How often are our acts done with less than pure intentions; how often are we like Cain offering an impure gift to God! It is so easy to fall in to this habit, to not even think about our intentions and state of mind when we act- we focus only on the exteriors. But God does not just want the outward show of love, he wants us to love Him, from the depths of our hearts.

If we are going to overcome this trait that has been with humanity since the beginning, we need to cultivate a sense of awareness of ourselves. We need to constantly be looking at and reflecting upon all of our thoughts words and actions and discerning their nature- for good or evil. Saint Ignatius offers a great guide to the practice of recollection in his examen, which Paul explains here. 

Let us ask for the help of the Holy Spirit, the source of all the good we do, so that all of our thoughts, words and actions each day may be offered to God as pleasing sacrifices- like that of His holy servant Abel. 

Abe

I have two great presidents to thank today for my day off from classes; I won't necessarily be thinking about them, however, as I make my monthly visit to the pancake house. Still, there's a quality about President's Day which makes me ponder and reflect on the importance of this stateside national holiday.

On this day Americans pay their respects to two great presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays fall on the 22nd and 12th of February, respectively. These men, in spite of their faults and shortcomings, are honored as the United States' greatest presidents. They led their native land through turbulent times and ensured that freedom should ring across this land long past their time in office.

For the sake of brevity, I've chosen to blog only about President Lincoln. I hope you don't mind...

I remember the first time I saw the Lincoln Memorial on a frigid winter morning. Bundled in gloves and a cap, I ascended the great steps which lead to the sculpture of the 16th president. As I walked up the steps I couldn't look anywhere except into the eyes of that great, prolific man. Abe looks out over the Reflecting Pool; perhaps he is reminiscing about the time (short-lived) that he spent as our nation's leader; perhaps he is supposed to be mulling over the issues which affect America today. At any rate, Lincoln's face captures both stoicism and resilience, two qualities which best characterize the spirit of the American people.

It's important to reflect on Lincoln and his great spirit occasionally. America, along with the rest of the world, has taken a beating as of late. Lay-offs, stimuli, and alleged bi-partisanship have left Old Glory looking somewhat faded as she billows in the wind of despondency. This is to say nothing of the moral condition America faces: the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) threatens to further taint the sanctity of human life; values and religion are never to be "imposed" on others. We need to look to a president of old for guidance, one who has witnessed this nation torn in two and left with little hope for a promising future. 

Lincoln's gaze from his Memorial also evokes a sense of tranquility as he looks over the relatively calm waters of the Reflecting Pool; his eyes are soft enough to assure us that better times are ahead, and that we must have faith. Words spoken by this great president at his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865 instruct us as to where, or in Whom we should really place our trust:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

Have a happy President's Day. In God we trust.

Oremus pro Invicem

One of the things I learned once I entered the seminary was that people are always asking you for your prayers. Whenever I am out in parish and have the chance to talk to someone they usually will ask me to pray for them, or for some other special intention of theirs. In the seminary there are at least five emails a day sent out by different members of the community, asking for prayers for a whole variety of things. At first it was something that I would try to do but often I would find myself deleting those emails thinking- selfishly- "oh, they don't need my prayers." But the longer that I am here, I have realized that praying for one another is really one of the central calls of our lives as Christians- and especially for someone who is called to the priesthood! 

Our world is in need of prayer! There are so many things we see on the news at night- war, terror, broken families, abject poverty, corruption, adultery- not to mention all the other things close to our hearts that cause us worry or distress. But so often I find myself in prayer and I realize that I have been praying for myself for the whole time! Lord, grant me this... Lord, help me with that... 

Don't get me wrong! We should and need to pray for the Lord's help in our own lives, and we should pray for our own sanctification; however, we must look beyond ourselves to the needs of those around us, to the needs of the world around us. We need to take not only our own intentions, but the intentions of those close to us, and those across the world to Jesus. 

Prayer is the greatest weapon we have in this valley of tears. Jesus has told us that if we come to Him in prayer, He will listen, and He will answer our prayers, "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."(Luke 11:9-10) He invites us to knock at the door. He is listening. We need to trust in the Lord's words, that he does hear our prayers. We need to believe more in the power of prayer, and turn often to Him in prayer for all the the smallest and the largest of needs. 

When something comes your way that seems too difficult to handle, give to Jesus in prayer, but don't just give your own struggles to Jesus, ask His aid for others as well. It is one of the beautiful gifts about being Christians is that we are able not just to comfort each other with human aid, but we are able to offer Divine assistance through our prayer. Let us trust in this Divine Aid, let us have faith that He hears us and He will answer us (according to His perfect providence).

C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors, would end his letters with these words, Oremus pro invicem- latin for "Let us pray for one another"- and I would have to agree. 

True Love

A happy Valentine's Day to everyone! Today, on the 14th day of the shortest month we Catholics celebrate the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, along with the love we have for one another. Today is also the feast of Valentine, the early Church martyr and supposed patron of lovers. Unfortunately, some take this feast of love as cause to perform Monologues and/or engage in behavior that is anything but loving or Christian. Allow me to catch my breath after my half-rant; I don't think anyone reading this needs to hear the full version...

I'll set Cyril, Methodius, Valentine, candy-grams, and valentines aside; the saints and such signs of affection mean no one harm and bring forth cheer in a rather ironically long month. What I'd like to mention today is the importance of love. True love.

Love has become the buzzword of our society, and has been for some time. I could sit here and type out some puritan-type sermon about how our culture has lost focus of what true love is, and point out numerous examples in television, music, and common speech, but I shall abstain. I won't let the negative side of the argument win out. Instead I would like to share a love story with you, one of the greatest ones I've ever heard.

Great Britain's Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson has given us his august romantic novel, Come Rack! Come Rope!, a retelling of the aftermath of King Henry's separation from the Catholic Church in 1534. The story is set under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I towards the end of the Sixteenth Century, in a time when Catholics throughout the land faced great persecution. Don't worry, I'm getting to the love story...

Robin and Marjorie are two youth who are deeply in love with one another. Both come from Catholic families who are forced to pay fines for not submitting to the Church of England. Robin's father, having grown tired of paying such fines, yields to the Church and forces Robin to join him in entering the Church of England on Easter Sunday. Deeply Catholic and unwilling to cave to his father's demands, Robin is faced with a great turmoil in being disowned by his father. All the while the Queen's grip on resisting Catholics is tightening; even laity are being arrested for supposed acts against the Queen.

In the midst of all the conflict Robin and Marjorie's love for one another grows tremendously. Robin leaves his father's house and lives with Marjorie's family, one of several Catholic families which aid renegade priests who celebrate Mass and hear confessions of those who gather illegally and in secret. It is during one of these visits when Marjorie, inspired after seeing one of the clandestine priests at Mass, asks Robin if he has considered becoming a priest. Here are her words to him:

But there are some things more sacred than anything on earth--those things that come from Heaven. Now--I wish to say this--and then have done with it: that if such should be God's will, I would not hold you for a day. We are Catholics, you and I... --66

While shocked at the words from the woman he wished to marry, Robin seriously considers his call to serve Christ's Church as a priest, to serve the people of God and to guide them in the midst of their strife. After a period of time, Robin leaves England for Rheims, France, entering the Society of Jesus and eventually becomes a priest.

While trying not to ruin the entire story, I hope that I don't make anyone think that Marjorie suddenly gives up Robin on a whim. Far from it; countless nights she "bedews her bed with tears" (Ps. 6:7), praying to God to help her to see what she should do with her love. She is drawn between the sacrifice of her love and a happy, peaceful life safe and secure in Robin's arms. When her mother tells her that she must not truly love Robin if she wishes for him to be a priest, Marjorie replies:

Then I do not think you know what love is. To love is to wish the other's highest good, as I understand it. --84

Absolutely beautiful. It is as if Cupid's bow was cast aside and the Sacred Heart of Jesus took its place, sending arrows into the souls of these two lovers, causing them pain, yes, but instilling in them a warmth and a love for God and one another which no distance or tyrant could ever destroy. Marjorie knew this when she let Robin go; she knew it, too when she (spoiler alert) sees him offer his life for Jesus Christ. 

In no way does Marjorie stand by and sob while Robin serves; she becomes well-known throughout England for her harboring of priests and preservation of Catholicism as well! Robin and Marjorie grow to love one another in a whole new way through their service to Christ. Dare I say that their new love was far stronger than their former love ever could have been.

Let me be clear: I'm not saying that true love lies only in the priesthood; it lies within the love of God. Furthermore, true love is found in the giving of one's self entirely, emulating Christ on the Cross. Whatever one's vocation may be, the love which is rooted in the love Christ gives us is true love. Marjorie's own thoughts best summarize how true love requires so much, yet gives much in return:

A broken heart and God's will done would be better than that God's will should be avoided and her own satisfied. --55

A blessed St. Valentine's day to you and Yours!

A Hand Through the Ages

As human beings we enjoy a unique place in the hierarchy of beings found in the world. We are not mere plants who just grow up, bear fruit, and die; we are not animals who eat, grow, move, sense, live ingroups, and reproduce. Neither are we angels, pure spirits with piercing intellects and forceful wills. Rather, we are the middle ground between the two worlds of life- the spiritual and the material. We have bodies that need nourishment, are susceptible to sickness and injury and put us into contact with the material world around us, but we also have immaterial souls that are able to abstract from our sense images and form reflective judgments, we have free will, not governed by mere instincts, and we are able to grasp truths that are immaterial through the use of our reasoning faculty. Man is truly a marvelous creature that holds a unique place in creation.

This unique place gives us a unique relationship to God, that Ultimate Reality who, being immaterial, is outside of our sense experience. We are not able to grasp and unite to Him immediately like the Angels who have such incredible intellects and strong wills, but we are also not stuck with the plants and animals who have no knowledge and interaction with God other than that of creature to Creator. We are able to grasp Him in a partial way through our immaterial intelligent souls which allow us to reason(though hampered by our dependence on the sense experience as the foundation of our knowledge) to such great truths as God's existence and many of His attributes, but this still leaves us far removed from the Loving God of the New Testament. 

However, God does not leave us in this nearly absolute darkness. He has met us in our humanity, in our materiality, when His Son, Jesus, came into the world. Jesus, the eternal Immaterial Word of God, made flesh, is the image of God for us here us to see, and touch and smell. Jesus' whole life was about showing to man the Truth about who God is, but not only to tell us, but to reach out to us, and to touch us, to comfort us, to strengthen us, to heal us. 

Look at Jesus' life- that is exactly what He did. He was so human. He did human things- he cried, the laughed, he spent time with his friends. Not only was he human, but His ministry was filled with the natural things- he told parables about fig tree, and flowers of the field, about family relationships, about seeds, about fish, and he used the things of the world to work His miracles. He turned water into wine,he multiplied loaves of bread and fish, he used mud and spit to give sight to the blind- He used the things we know as men to be the instruments of His grace.  

Today in the gospel we hear about one such event. A man who was deaf and whose speech was impaired came to Jesus and begged Him to heal Him. Listen to the rest of the story: 

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. 

He put his finger into the man's ears

and, spitting, touched his tongue;

then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,

" Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")

And immediately the man's ears were opened,

his speech impediment was removed,

and he spoke plainly.

How awesome is that- and kinda gross! Jesus put his finger in this guy's ears, and put his spit on his tongue (and he groaned to heaven!) Jesus' came so that the material, the human world would be redeemed, and that it would become the instrument for God's grace to reach us. That finger that touched the man's ears, was no mere human finger, it was the finger of the God-Man, Jesus Christ. The material Image of God, Jesus Christ, reach out to the man and healed Him, not just of his physical ailments, but the more damaging ones, the spiritual sickness of sin. He used the exterior signs to represent the deeper reality going on- He said Ephphatha (or "be opened!")- not just so the man would hear words, but so that His ears would be opened to the Gospel! 

This material image of Jesus did not go away when Jesus ascended back to the Father 2000 years ago. It is still reach out across time and space into our lives. The Sacraments- baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, Holy Eucharist, matrimony, holy orders, and anointing of the sick- are the continuation of the ministry, a ministry marked with material signs, of Christ today. In fact, in baptism, the priest (who acts in persona christi- a physical presence of Jesus in the Sacraments) says those same words of Christ to the child- Ephphatha!- as he makes the sign of the cross over the child's ears! All I can say to this is- Incredible! It is the finger of Jesus, who in baptism claims the child as His own, opening those little ears to the Words of Eternal life! In all the sacraments this is the case- that is why we have a liturgy that involves material things- Bread and wine, oils, water, the body's of Husband and Wife, rings- but even more so the other things that make our rites so beautiful- vestments, incense, golden chalices, crucifixes, masterful altars of wood and marble, the voices of men and women praise the most High. God in the Incarnation has chosen to use the things of the world to lead us closer to Him. Let us rejoice and be glad!

Ephphatha! May our ears, and eyes, our minds and hearts be open to the words and workings of God in our lives!  

A Life in the Church Is Worth Living

La Paz de Cristo!

After ten days in the mountains of Honduras, I have just arrived back to "civilization." While I enjoy the hot water shower, the daunting task of responding to the 50 emails in my inbox is a little less enjoyable. But who am I kidding, who doesn't like getting email?

Okay, enough stalling. As I said, I just got back from 10 days in the mountain. My initial desire to be sent to the mountains for a week or so was simply to get a better, first-hand, witness to the way of the Church in rural Honduras. After a day of travel in an overcrowded school bus I finally arrived in a rural pueblo of about 400 inhabitants. Not soon after arriving and sharing a cup of coffee with the woman who would host me for the week, the pastoral team of six came by. After the customary handshakes and welcoming words they cut to the chase...

"So are you ready to go?"

I was a bit confused, and not just because they were speaking in Spanish. "Uh, sure? Where exactly am I going and why?"

"To visit the people. Brother, there is so much work to be done and you are only here a few days."

"Um, okay, I guess. Lead me and I will go."

The words coming out of my mouth shocked me. "Lead me and I will go." So often I had heard those words in the Gospels and on vocation retreats. So often I had prayed those words to Jesus while meditating alone in my room at the novitiate. Now, unexpectedly, those words came to life yet again, this time in the middle of nowhere, Honduras. I couldn't believe it, by just being open, by being available, I put myself into a a life full of opportunities to incarnate the Gospel message.

From that moment on I was all over the region--from the chapel in the town's center to the surrounding villages without running water or electricity. And whether I wanted to or not at the time, I was a presence of the Christ to these people. I--a bumbling gringo with poor Spanish skills--was a presence of the Universal Church's love and concern for a people that so many others simply choose to overlook or pass by.

By the end of the week, after visiting the sick, helping lead celebrations of the word (since there were no priests for Mass), leading retreats, and listening to the stories of many, I was exhausted. Recuperating for a couple of days at a Jesuit parish ten kilometers away, I couldn't stop thanking God for the opportunity to be Nuestro Hermano Misionero--Our Missionary Brother. The people in the village were strong, generous, dedicated, and still because I was a member of the Church (if simply a humble novice), they looked to me to share the Good News with them. What a life! I cannot help but wonder why so many more women and men do not choose this lifestyle. Yes, it seems a bit strange and difficult by our culture's standards, but if we get past these judgments, religious or diocesan life is full of love, joy, generosity, friendship, and all those other really good things in life (I think they're called graces). For a clearer description, check out this great reflection by Peter.

I guess I am writing this for any of you out there who are uncertain of the need or, even more, the desire for priests, nuns, and brothers in our world. I humbly say there is a great need. Think about it. And if that vocation, after some prayer and conversation, is not for you, ask yourself: As a Christian, how am I asked to serve God and His Church?

I would like to end with a big Thank You to all of you who continue to read and support this blog. Peter, Andrew, and I do it for you. We humbly hope that our little reflections can help you better understand God's call for you and help give you the courage to live it out.

I will be in Honduras for another 3+ months. Thank you for your prayers. As a reader (or writer) you have mine. God bless!

To Lourdes!

On this day we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who appeared under the title of Our Lady of Lourdes to now St. Bernadette Subirious in 1858. The "lowly handmaid of the Lord" chose to appear to this poor French maiden so that her Son's Word might continue to be spread forth.

What makes the apparition at Lourdes so, well, miraculous, are the healing waters which have led to the cures of numerous maladies. During one of the Blessed Mother's appearances to Bernadette, she asks her to drink from the spring, which at the time was nothing more than a little water mixed in with heavy soil. However, from this dirt rose forth a spring, the waters which along with Mary's apparitions to Bernadette have made Lourdes one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Christendom.

Whether or not we have the opportunity to visit Lourdes (though we should if we ever have the chance), the importance of this feast for the universal Church is to further our devotion to the Blessed Mother. Mary, through whom we may more fully know what Christ calls us to, will lead us out of our spiritual poverty, inviting us to drink of the waters which will bring us to everlasting life!

I won't pretend to have the utmost knowledge about this remarkable saint, but I can point you in the right direction. Below is a clip from Fr. James Martin, S.J. on St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes:

He Saw That It Was Good...

Over the past two days at Mass we have heard the some of the most well known words ever to be written... 

"In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,

 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, 

while a mighty wind swept over the waters..."

and on so the story of Creation continues over the first chapters of the book of Genesis. We all have heard it, who knows how many times, and we all know the way it goes. God creates light, then the sky, then separates the land from the water... and so on until he creates us in His image and likeness, the apex of His creation. How incredible is the work of the Lord! That act of creation which He continues to sustain at every moment!

As I have listened to and prayed with these readings over the past two days on part of the story jumped out to me. It is a phrase that is repeated over and again, six times in fact, as God's magnificent work of creation progresses:

"God saw how good it was."

God is in the middle of His great work of creation, a work that He alone is capable of--creating something out of nothing--rivaled in its greatness only by His redemption of the same creation, and He stops, and rests in the beauty of His work. He stops and contemplates the goodness of the world which He has freely chosen to create out of His infinite goodness. He rejoices in the great grandeur of the mountains, in the deep abyss of the waters, in the complexity and precision of the littlest leaf or the minutes mite, and above all man and women whom He has created in His image as rational beings, and who He invites, alone amongst His earthly creatures, through to share in His Divine Life. God takes the time to stop and delight in the work that he does, to-as the cliche goes- stop and smell the roses! How amazing is that! 

I think that we could all take some cues from the One Who Made Us! We can so often get so busy and caught up in the "drudgery" of life. I know that around the seminary I often feel like I never have a free moment. I am constantly going from one thing to the next, from class, to studying, to preparing for PSR class, to talking with a brother about how discernment is going, to communal prayer, to whatever, and I very rarely stop and just rest in the goodness of life: the goodness of the people who are in my life, the goodness that I am receiving an education, the goodness of the fact that I am a Son of the Most High, the goodness of the fact that I am perusing a call to the Priesthood, the goodness of the sun shining or the rain falling, the goodness of the breath in my lungs, the goodness of the every littlest atom of God's creation. 

We are surrounded by a world that proclaims the greatness of the One brought it into existence, and who made it good. May we not get so busy, so caught up in the things of life that we forget to enjoy it, and to thank our Good God for giving it to us. Sometime today stop for a moment and just look around you and soak in the goodness of creation, and let your heart and your mind rise up in adoration of the Maker of it all.

I want to leave you with the beautiful poem of Gerard Manley Hopkins S.J. which encapsulates more than any other I know of the true grandeur of creation.

God's Grandeur

THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Good Things Bear Repeating

Yesterday's post on Job's lament is a great source for reflection, one of which we here at the Rock and the Sword plan to take full advantage (we've been trying to fend off writer's block as best we can!).

This weekend I decided to take a hike. Literally. After my class on Friday I grabbed my keys and boots and headed towards one of my favorite trails. While I usually love to have company as I explore God's grandeur, I decided that I could use some solitude to recollect and regroup. With a camera, rosary, and a bottle of water, I set off on the trail.

It was an unusually warm February afternoon as I began my 5. 3 mile hike; the warm temperatures helped to melt some of the snow my region's experienced recently. However, as the firmly packed snow disappeared from the trail, a thick goopey muck was left in its stead. More than once I grimaced as my boots sunk into the mud, making the sound that Gak made when I was a kid. I knew this wouldn't be my fastest time on the trail as I slipped on hills and braced myself on limbs which extended their limbs in support. Nevertheless, I trudged on.

My trail-trial had further significance when I heard the reading from Job yesterday; the drudgery which he experiences was not what he had expected out of life. Just as I had expected to have a clean, clear trail to enjoy, Job too was faced with muck which made his trip through life miserable: death, poverty, illness. Yet, as much as he wanted to give up, he persevered. Through his faith and God's assistance, he endured his sufferings. Because of this, "the Lord even gave to Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10).

As I took a rest on the top of a bluff, enjoying the beautiful view, I realized how good I have it. I had found a place similar to Jesus' when he "went off to a deserted place, where he prayed." While I had struggled to reach my resting place, it was certainly worth the trip. So too is it worth life's drudgeries if we faithfully follow God through all strife. Then we will rest in Him.

Just some thoughts to reflect upon. Have a great day!

Is Not Man's Life on Earth a Drudgery?

We heard today at Mass from the book of Job. Job was a man truly blest with a loving wife, a wonderful family, material prosperity, and good health. Yet, in a moment it was all taken away from him- his wife and children died, his good all were taken away, and his health declined. In this distress, as all that he had seemed to be slipping away, he cried out with those words we heard in our first reading at Holy Mass today: 

"Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again."

And to these words of despair we responded: Thanks be to God! Perhaps a more appropriate response would have been, "LORD SPARE US!" I don't think that any of us would really wish to share in Job's fortunes; however, I think that, to a certain extent, we all know what he was feeling. All of our lives know the pain of loss and worry- whether it is from worries about job security in this difficult economy, or sickness of friends and family, or stress about school work, worries about your future, or relationship problems, or even that most difficult of trials, the loss of a loved one. In the midst of these trials, which can seem at times to be never ending, it is very easy to join in the lament of Job, "Is not our life on earth a drudgery. " We are born, we struggle, and suffer, and we die. This is how so many people, particularly our fellow Americans, see life- and I would venture to say that the thought has crossed our minds as well. It seems that, just as much as their is an economic crisis in our world right now, there is a crisis of meaning.

So many people seem to have no meaning in life. Life to them is but a random string of events that have no purpose or end. There is nothing but the day to day grind that will go on for some time and then we will die. This is what Job of was expressing- life is all a drudgery, we are all laborers in the field laboring day after day, month after month, with no hope. Yet, this is not the truth about life. We are not just a collection of molecules organized in a certain way, and our lives are not just a string of disconnected events. The way that we get out of this life of drudgery, this way of life void of meaning, is to find something, or rather someone that Job knew not of- Jesus Christ. 

Faith in Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with Him is what allows us to escape and overcome the great crisis in the world of meaninglessness. A relationship, a friendship with Jesus Christ, teaches us that nothing is random, nothing is chance, nothing is pure drudgery- but everything is a gift, everyday is a mission. Jesus is who we need. And we must not buy into the idea that religion is a crutch for the weak who can't hand the "tough reality of life." Believing in God, cultivating a relationship with Jesus Christ is not for the faint of heart. It is for the person who is willing to love radically. If I didn't believe in God, I wouldn't have to worry about how I acted, or what I did. I wouldn't have to love others, I could worry about ME. But if we make the choice, and it is a choice we have to make for ourselves everyday, to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, we are going to have to die to ourselves. It is going to be difficult. But, we are not alone in it. Jesus shows us the way.

Jesus knows the difficulty, as we heard about in the Gospel today. His life was one of constant demands, and little rest. People were always seeking Him out, asking Him to teach them, or heal them, or comfort them. His life, as He was fully human just like you and I, probably seemed pretty overwhelming and demanding. We may even ask ourselves how he was able to do it day after day. The answer comes in the middle of the story from today, "Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed." He turned to God the Father in prayer, and received the strength He needed to carry out His mission for another day.  

The same is true in our lives. They can seem so burdensome, and overwhelming at times. But, we must always remember to turn to our heavenly Father, and our Savior who shared in our struggle, and ask them to send the Spirit of Consolation and Strength to us so that we can fulfill the mission we are called to each day. Our lives, when they are lived in communion with God the Holy Trinity, are not a drudgery- they may not always be fun, or easy, or exciting- but they are meaningful. Because we are not just doing random events, we are carrying out a mission, given to us by God. The solution to the economic crisis may be far from decided, but the solution to the crisis of meaning is clear- we must have and constantly cultivate a relationship with God. 

Each day we are sent out on mission by the Lord, we must turn to Him in prayer if we are to succeed. Only when this truth is embraced in our lives can we overcome the woes of Job to whom life was but a drudgery. 

Persevere!

This past summer while participating in the World Youth Day activities in Sydney, Australia, I spent quite a bit of time on the subway system. Several times a day my brother seminarians and I would hop on a train from the eastern suburbs and head down to Circular Quay or Town Hall for various events. After two weeks I felt somewhat like a Sydney-sider when it came to riding the rails.

Spending so much time on the subway also allowed me to speak with other pilgrims participating in World Youth Day. How did I know they were pilgrims? The bright, cheery faces of the people draped in flags from across the world usually gave them away; they knew I was a pilgrim by the black I wore, with a dash of white around the collar. As long as I they spoke English and I could understand their dialect, I was more than willing to engage in conversation with the various groups I encountered.

One such encounter came on the day the Holy Father was set to arrive by boat in Sydney Harbor. The trains were packed with pilgrims from across the planet, including a rather exuberant group from Melbourne. The young priest who served as their chaperone, having seen my universal flag of Catholicism, introduced himself amidst the peals of laughter and songs of praise. We talked a bit about the States, Australia, the seminary, and his recent ordination. It was a wonderful way to pass the time.

When it came time for me to get off at one of the stops, I shook his hand and said farewell to some of his group. When the doors of the train opened I heard the priest shout my name. Swiftly I wheeled around to look at him; pointed his finger at me and shouted,

Hey! Persevere!

I'm not sure what significance lies behind my faith-filled encounters with strangers on trains, but I do know that the young priest from Melbourne spoke to my heart that chilly Aussie morning in July. Those two words have had a lasting effect on my perspective on the seminary and preparing for the priesthood; he didn't say, "hang in there," or "get through," but "persevere," a word which, if lived, requires faith, hope, and love.

My Melbournean mentor's words aren't just for me, by the way. We're all in need of a little encouragement whatever our calling in life. We may want to pull out fists-full of hair when things get really rough, or crawl into bed and moan when we're full of despair, but we won't ever be able to "Fight the good fight" as St. Paul says if we don't persevere through all of life's trials and difficulties.

It was rather providential that I ran into that priest on the train; his simple message captured much of what Pope Benedict spoke to the more than 100,000 people present later that afternoon at Baranagaroo when he arrived in Sydney Harbor:

Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!

May we continue to persevere in living the Gospel fulfilling whatever call God has in store for us. God's blessings!

Holy Martyrs of Japan

After Peter's great post yesterday about radical love, and reading about today's feast, I feel that I am obligated to share this story.

This morning as I opened up my breviary and saw that it was the feast of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, I couldn't help but immediately think, "Who the heck is that?" (It is perhaps a little revealing about my focus in prayer at times that despite the fact that I have celebrated this feast several times before I still do not remember who these incredible saints are!) But as I prayed my office, which included a little biography of these saints, and a contemporary account of their lives I soon realized that today we have a true reason to celebrate the heroic and radical witness these saints gave- and now I share it with you.

In the mid 16th century Francis Xavier arrived in Japan and brought the faith of Jesus Christ to this island in the Pacific, and by the end of the century there were some 200,000 Roman Catholics on the island. However, soon thereafter the Emperor became jealous of the success of the Catholic missionaries and began a severe persecution of the faith in Japan. Anyone who was Christian and would not renounce their faith was sentenced to death. There were many men and women, priests and religious who refused to give up their faith in Jesus, and so won the crown of martyrdom.  These are the heroic saints we celebrate this day, In particular one holy man: Paul Miki.

Paul was a native of Japan and he was brought up in the faith. He was greatly inspired by the lives of the holy members of the Society of Jesus who taught him at the Jesuit college of Anziquiama. He decided, with a heart filled with love for Christ, to join that most humble of societies. However, while he was still a novice he was arrested. He refused to give up his faith, and so along with 25 other priests, religion, and lay he was sentenced to death by crucifixion. As Paul hung upon the cross he still could not help but proclaim his love for Jesus and the Church, he said, 

The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.

He, along with the 25 other holy souls, after having been hanging on the cross for several hours, were pierced through with a lance. Their blood soaked the soil of that distant isle, as the Precious Blood and water flowed out of Jesus' heart on the hill of Calvary, and their souls flew to heaven and their eternal reward.  

I cannot help but be filled with awe at the story such as Paul's. How radical must his love of Jesus Christ have been. How much can we learn from this young Japanese man who gave his life for the sake of the Gospel. We are probably not going to be asked to sacrifice our lives as Paul was, but we will undoubtably be called to sacrifice our lives in little ways today. Today we celebrate Saint Paul Miki and the Holy Martyrs of Japan, let us ask them to intercede for us, that no matter what the Lord asks of us today (perhaps He is even asking us to serve Him as a priest or a religious) we may respond unwaveringly, with a heart full of that radical love that burned in their hearts.  

Radical Love, Radical Discernment

Recently I received an email with a link to "Radical Love," a photo essay by Toni Greaves on the Dominican nuns of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary. As I watched and listened to these sisters explain how they fell in love, I was deeply moved and inspired.

Greave's photographs take us through the Dominican monastery located in Summit, New Jersey, capturing the true devotion these sisters have for Jesus. Narrations and various hymns provide the audio, making one feel closely connected to these cloistered nuns and their way of life. The narration which moved me most was from Sister Lauren Franko, a 22 year-old novice who talks of her calling and what it's like to live the cloistered life. Here's what she says about her discernment:

I chose this life because as wonderful as my other plans might have been, they were my plans. We think we know what will make us happy, but God knows us way better than we know ourselves, so I thought it would be safer to go with what He wanted me to do.

How radical is that?!

I love sister's words on her vocation; they get to the heart of what discernment is all about: doing God's will above our own. It's nice to know that Sister, who is my age, has found her calling and is at peace with it. Peace doesn't mean that her life isn't difficult; the One who bestows peace makes her calling worthwhile.

I want that peace. We all do.

That peace comes from finding out what God's will is for us, from discerning what life He has invited us to lead.  Sr. Franko says she wasn't satisfied with what the world had to offer; she realized: "I had to give myself more radically to God." What makes her discernment radical is her surrender, that submission to Jesus. His call is unlike any other; He makes no pretenses. Though He calls us to take up our cross, what we will gain in return is far beyond our comprehension.

While watching this piece, I can't help but think of a number of people I know who are just like Sr. Lauren Franko. They're happy, joyous people who love Christ and want nothing more than to serve Him (but they've yet to discover how). These people were in school with me, go to the youth ministry program at my parish, or are mere acquaintances. They're searching. But will they radically discern and reach out beyond what they can control?

Sister and I lead very different lives, and have very different callings. There are times when I would like to think that I could make it in a cloister, but I know I'm called to live "in the world, but not of the world." In spite of the differences between the cloister and the seminary, our common goal is that "radical love," the loving embrace of Christ. Sister beautifully captures this love in the following quote:

I would describe my relationship with God as falling desperately head over heels in love with Christ crucified and slowly, very slowly, trying to find out what that means...

Christ is waiting for us to respond to His call. His eyes "look with pity" as "we forage in a land we know not" (Jer 14:18). We are all trying to figure out what we're meant for, who we're supposed to become, and it isn't easy. If we take a step back from the world and genuinely ask Jesus to show us the way, He will. If we choose to follow, we will experience His radical love for each of us, for eternity.

My prayers for you as you radically discern how you may receive God's radical love.

De Magistro

Each year in seminary we have a different apostolic work that we are sent out to do, with the goal of preparing us for the different ministries that we will be called to carry out as priests. Men do different things from going to the soup kitchen as Peter has written about, visiting the sick and the dying in hospitals, or working in after school programs. My apostolic work this entire year has been teaching PSR (or CCD) to 6th graders at a local parish. 

I have always wanted to be a teacher. I have been blest with so many incredible teachers in my life, men and women who have inspired me to pursue knowledge zealously and to grow in virtue and holiness. Teachers can have such a profound influence on the lives of their students, and I have always desired to have the opportunity to be that kind of influence on others. So when I found out that I would have a chance to teach 6th grade PSR for an entire year, I was ecstatic. 

And I must say that it has been a wonderful experience. However, it has also been quite challenging. There are days, when I go to teach and the students seem completely unreceptive to my lessons. They cannot sit still for even five minutes it seems (I had obviously forgotten what it was like to be a 6th grader!) They come to class in the evenings after along day at school, and it is the last place they want to be. On top of these difficulties, this hour long class with me, for many of these students the only time in the entire week that they hear about their faith. Many of them do not go to to Sunday mass, and have never been taught or encouraged to pray on a regular basis. 

They are such good kids, with incredible hearts, and quick minds, but sometimes it seems like I am trying to break through a brick wall with a plastic hammer! I will put so much time and effort into preparing a great lesson plan, that engages them and brings the truths of the faith to a level they can grasp... and all they do is complain that they want to go play in the gym, or that their teacher last year was so much more fun! And week after week I write my lessons, and get in the van with my classmates and drive to school, and more often and not the results are the same. It seems at times that the students are impervious everything that I am trying to teach. 

In the midst of all of this, I have found myself quite frustrated and disappointed. I have felt like a failure as a teacher, like I will never make a good priest. If I can't even get these thirteen 6th graders to care about their faith, how will I do with a whole parish to shepherd!?

One day while I was praying to God about this- all the frustration, and disappointment- asking Him why it seems like I cannot get through, why He isn't just making it easier, why all my work seems to be in vain... a thought came to me... "Now you know how I feel."

"Now you know how I feel." I realized that my experience as a teacher of thirteen 11 year old minds that seem to be wholly unreceptive to what I want for them and to what I know is going to make them happy, is a microcosm, a little mini-replica of how God's relationship is with almost all of us. 

He has created us, he has blest us with minds made to know Him, and hearts made to love Him. He has blest us with material gifts, and talents we did nothing to merit. He pours out is grace constantly upon us, He even went so far as to give His Son to us, and let Him be crucified so that we might come to understand the truth about His love for us. And how often are we, like my sixth graders often seem, uninterested, unreceptive, and ungrateful to His message. How often do we "sleep" through His lessons, though being distracted at Mass or in prayer? How often do we "cut-up in class" by sinning and choosing the ways of this world rather than the ways of God? How often do we "complain about His teaching, and wish it would be easier or more fun" by not trusting in his Providential care when things get difficult? How are we as students of the one whom Saint Augustine says in "On the Teacher", is our only true teacher, Jesus Christ? If you are at all like me, you will probably admit that you should be sent to the principal's office! 

But, luckily, the Lord is patient with those whom he loves. And so he comes back to the classroom of our hearts, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, and starts anew in our education. He is constantly trying to teach us, telling us about His great love, inviting us to sharing in his Divine Life. Let us not sleep in any longer, let us wake up and listen and learn from the one who not only teaches the truth, but who IS the Truth, and the Way and the Life. 

Blaise-ing a Trail

Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat and from every other illness. In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The day after the Feast of the Presentation, today, marks the feast day of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr. While there isn't much that hagiographers can say about this fourth century saint, his devotees through the centuries have made him greatly revered.

Candles, having been blessed on Presentation (Candlemas) the day before, are used in the ritual blessing of throats through the intercession of St. Blaise. Legend holds that Blaise, while in prison, cured a boy from choking to death on a fish bone lodged in his throat. Blaise was eventually executed for his faith by beheading.

So what? I've never had throat problems. Why should we care?

Many, myself included, brush off these little feasts as inconsequential or simply old-fashioned. I always found it funny in grade school when I had to go up with my class and get my throat blessed during Mass. The feel of beeswax candles intersecting at the nape of my neck wasn't the most enjoyable; in my discomfort I seem to have missed the whole point of the blessing. As often as we might dismiss these "nice" little ceremonies, their presence in our Church shows all the more how Christ is fully alive, dwelling within his followers, who assist others on their way to salvation through Him.

Blaise's intercession is still quite important for our Church today as many are ailing from illness and disease of the throat. One such example that I discovered online yesterday has proven to be an inspiring witness to the devotion of this wonderful saint. Here is an excerpt from the Faith and Family blog, written by ArwenMosher:

We’ve now spent four nights in the hospital with our little Blaise, who is two weeks old today.  He is recovering well on his own, but he has RSV and right now his lungs still need a little extra oxygen so that he can manage to get enough.  We will be here until he can breathe satisfactorily without it.

This inspiring story of faith shows not only the faith of the couple that their newborn son will be protected through St. Blaise'sintercession; it also proves the need for the whole Church to pray on behalf of those who are ailing, like little Blaise. This universal Church of ours may seem vast and impersonal at times, but when stories of faith such as this one are told, we realize how connected we are through the Body of Christ. Such stories also dispel the notion that ceremonies like today's are bland and banal; instead they help to "Blaise a trail" of faith through the thickets of indifference! Through the intercession of Christ's servant, Blaise, may all be joined together in prayer for those who are suffering with illness of the throat.

Please pray especially for little Blaise today on his feast day, as well as all those suffering from illness of the throat. St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, pray for us!

That Most Dreaded of Months

As I turned the page on my calendar yesterday I was amazed at the thought that it is already February! It seems like only yesterday that I was celebrating Christmas, and New Years. And as February begins another thought comes to mind- I am reminded of my first year as a seminarian, and all the warnings that were so many variants of "Look out for February it is the hardest month at the seminary!" I must admit that it has never quite lived up to all of its hype as the most dreaded month of the year that tests vocations- it has always come and gone mostly like any other month of the year (perhaps I am immune because my birthday happens to fall in this dreaded month!?) 

But nevertheless I think there can be a certain state of mind that comes around this time of the year, a kind of laziness, a kind of complacency- and not just in the seminary but I think it is true for everyone in some degree. This month comes in the peak of winter when we are usually confined indoors, it is marks a complete end to the Christmas holidays (which officially end today on the Feast of the Presentation), and the beginning of a long stretch of weeks without any significant break in sight. I think all of these factors, coupled with the prejudice against February as a bad month, add up to make us less that zealous in our lives. School and work become burdens and we often just live from weekend to weekend; prayer can become monotonous with no big feast days to celebrate, our relationships can become strained, and patience wears thin, from too much time together indoors (especially when you share a house with 100 brother seminarians!). 

Yet, for all of these things which seem to pile up before us as we begin this month of February we are called to over come them all. We are called to not let this month find us stagnant in our spiritual lives, uncharitable in our relations, and unfruitful in our studies and work. We are called to rededicate ourselves to excellence. In this time when it is easy to strive to just get by, and to make it to spring (which depending on what our little groundhog friend decides today may come sooner or later), that we are called to an ever greater faithfulness and devotion. And today, we find two great examples in this feast we celebrate. 

In Saint Luke's Gospel we hear about these two personages, Simeon and Anna, who in their old age are blessed to see and behold the long awaited Messiah of God. We know very little about these two, only what the Evangelist tells us about them. What stands out about his description of both of them is indeed their faithfulness. 

Simeon, Saint Luke tells us, "was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him." He was an elderly man who had been promised that he "that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord." He lived a life of faithfulness to the God of Israel, constantly praying to the Lord and looking for the fulfillment of that promise made to him by the Lord. 

Saint Luke also tells us about Anna. From him we hear that she was an 84 year old widow. She was, like Simeon, a extraordinarily devote Jew who "never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer." She was so dedicated and faithful to serving the Lord that she dedicated her whole life to prayer. 

We know so very little about these two people. They are but a blip on the radar screen. They flash into the story of Salvation History for the briefest of moments and then disappear never to be mentioned again. Yet what we do know about them is that they were living out their lives in faithful devotion to Lord, and because of this fidelity they were blest to see the fulfillment of the promise. May we dedicate ourselves as they did, with trust and devotion, to the service of the Lord. Let us consecrate ourselves to doing God's work so that during this often month of February we will not become complacent, but we will be able to glorify God in all that we do, in prayer, in study, in work, in play, and in relationship. May we not be found slacking, let us be ever zealous and devout, so that when the Lord comes he may find us faithfully at His work.

His Fame Spread Everywhere

The night shift stock boy at the local Hy-Vee grunted as he heaved another sack of seed onto the large shelves in the back of the store. Whatever pain his back was in, it was nothing compared to the misery his life had become. After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in 1994 as the football team's Offensive Player of the Year, he had tried out for the Green Bay Packers, only to be cut before the season began. Seemingly stuck in a chasm of despair, he could have easily given up. Instead, he had faith and persevered.

Fast forward to the year 2000, when Kurt Warner hoisted another large item--the Vince Lombardi Trophy--as he and the St. Louis Rams were declared champions of Super Bowl XXXIV. Since his time in the Iowa Hy-Vee, Warner played in the Arena Football League, in NFL Europe, and had become a sensation in the Gateway City. More importantly, however, Warner also married his wife Brenda, adopting her two children from a previous marriage. His faith instilled in him the need to persevere, and the humility to recognize that without Christ, he wouldn't even be able to lift a bag of seed.

But who has time for humility and Christ when you're throwing touchdown passes left and right to superstars, only wishing to perform the "Bob and Weave" in the end zones? Apparently Warner did, for, as he was being named Super Bowl MVP, he had this to say:

"Well, first things first, I've got to thank my Lord and Savior up above: Thank you, Jesus!"

Thank you, Jesus indeed! How refreshing it is to see a football star, an idol (even in this Patriot's family) who recognizes that there is One without whom he would have nothing. Warner could sympathize with Christ's humble origins; 2,000 or so years before commentators were asking "Who is this guy?" Jesus of Nazareth was turning heads; as we hear in today's Gospel, the crowds "were amazed...He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him." Whereas Warner shared a similar experience with our Lord: "His fame spread everywhere," he still recognizes the need to get down on his knees and thank Jesus for the blessings he has received. I'm sure Warner remembers his lonely nights in the Hy-Vee; it is inspiring to see him remember His Savior as well.

Warner not only remembers his faith, but lives it each day. He is involved in numerous charities and isn't afraid to speak out for truth, as he did in a 2006 ad opposing embryonic stem-cell research. Just as when Christ spoke out, "the people were astonished" when he made such statements. Clearly Kurt isn't one who's willing to sit on the sidelines...

Well, I guess it's pretty clear who I'll be rooting for this Super Bowl, huh? Sorry, Pittsburgh, but Warner's the real deal. I'll close with a nice quote which puts Warner's faith into perspective:

"Whether I'm a Super Bowl Champion or a regular guy stocking groceries at the Hy-Vee, sharing my faith and glorifying Jesus is the central focus of my time on this earth. And the fact that I now have a podium, I believe, is no coincidence. I want to be a role model for Christ in everything that I do. Living my life for him and showing people the beauty of that reality is my mission in life."

Go Cardinals! 

Warner bio from wikipedia.org.