Thursday, June 29, 2006

God Bless America!





Why do these things never work?

UPDATE: To let everyone know, I was not given any more code than what I pasted here, even in my answer. It was disappointing. To make up for it though, I took another quiz. And I'd post my results here, but they don't want to work either. Oh well...

Are you serious?

Deep night shift six nights in a row. If I'm not posting, you know why. Non-stop wedding stuff today through Saturday... Mass, wedding gifts, and sleep before starting deep nights on Sunday. Pray for my health!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Humility Check

Julie D does it again... and yes.. "Julie D" does it with much more poise than I would have if I had attempted something similar. Check it out.

Monday, June 26, 2006

That's All Folks

Actually, I'm not REALLY done but I'm to a point where I can probably keep up with posting as well as tweaking and redesigning.

If you would please direct your focus to stage left. (Right side of screen *wink*) Many additions to the sidebar have been made and I hope they prove to beneficial. It now includes a prayer to St Michael the Archangel along with many other prayers used by Catholics. This includes everything from the Our Father to a list of private litanies. I've also included links to important texts and documents that pertain to the Catholic faith. You'll also find a whole list of topics for explaining the faith (Never attack. Never defend. Always clarify.) or learning more about it - which is available thanks to phatcatholic at phatmass.com. Also included are wallpapers, buddy icons, and awesome Catholic apparel - straight from LZ Tees where a portion of your purchase goes to the charity of your choice! (Remnant is an awesome Catholic apostolate so be sure to check that stuff out.)

Anyway, there really is way too much to explain here (though I believe I've just pointed out all the basics). Just check it out and let me know what you think!


May God bless you abundantly and may you receive and return His gifts to you with great joy!

Be holy.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Blessed

Today at Mass we welcomed into our parish a new deacon. That would make one full-time priest, two part-time priests (one of which leads the youth group), and two deacons. Then, at the end of Mass we received more good news. On top of our already wonderful staff, we will be receiving another full-time priest! Our bishop, Most Rev. Charles V. Grahmann, has appointed a new Parochial Vicar to be assigned to our parish. He'll move in and be working in just a few weeks.

How truly blessed is our parish. Despite past difficulties, I am very happy to have new clergy on staff. I pray this helps our parish to be more fruitful and to serve the Lord more perfectly.


+Lord, we thank you with all of our beings for calling these men to your service and allowing them to guide us, your children, to you. Bless our priests and make them holy.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Pro-Life Desktops

A background I made a while ago...

800x600 pixels -- here
1024x768 pixels -- here
1280x1024 pixels -- here


Feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Please Excuse Me

Please excuse my potential absence in posting while I edit my layout. I have become extremely bored and slightly annoyed with the colors and lines. I'll be playing with the codes and trying to figure out what I want from this. Tweaking will continue after the initial renovation but expect posts during that time.

Originally posted June 21, 2006 at 12:16 PM

World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

Friday, June 23, 2006
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

(Information obtained from vocations.com)


In 2002, Pope John Paul II announced a special "Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests" to be held annually on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Catholics everywhere are invited to celebrate this day with prayer and sacrifice for their priests.

"I would also like to invite the whole Christian community to pray for the sanctification of priests. I also remember the day of my priestly ordination. I again express my gratitude to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for this grace offered me almost 49 years ago.

Holiness is a vocation common to all believers. But since the priest must guide his brothers and sisters, he has an additional reason to be holy. The People of God and public opinion itself are not mistaken, then, in expecting from priests a witness of life that is deeply consistent, even to the point of heroism.

Nevertheless, we should not forget that holiness should be implored from God, since by its nature it is an arduous way in which priests, no less than other men, are marked by weakness.

It is therefore essential for the Christian community to support them with its prayer. This is why, in my Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday this year, I suggested that all the Dioceses of the world celebrate a "Day for the Sanctification of Priests", to call upon the Lord so that all his ministers will live in ever fuller conformity with the heart of the Good Shepherd.

I entrust these new priests and, with them, all the priests of the world to the Blessed Virgin, especially those who are suffering the most, who are the loneliest, the most sorely tried, so that sustained by her motherly tenderness, they may experience the full joy of their mission." (John Paul II)

Suggestions for Celebrating the "World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests"

1. Offer an hour of Adoration for Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life in honor of your parish priest. Send him a note and let him know you prayed for his intentions and for all vocations.

2. Offer a Mass, family rosary or other devotion for the intentions of your parish priest.

3. Encourage your children to pray for the priest that baptized them, or the one that hears their confessions or celebrates Mass for them. Have them write them a short note. Younger children can add a picture they have drawn or colored.

4. Invite your parish priest to dinner or make a meal and drop it by the rectory. Include a note with a picture of your family to make it even more personal.

5. Do you have a special talent that might be of help to your priest or parish? Let your priest know and ask him if he can use your help.

6. Pray for your priest just before you leave Mass on Sunday and say "Thank you for your vocation, Father." on the way out.

How will you celebrate this day? Please remember your priests that are guiding you now, priests that have passed away, and all the priests that will be ordained in the future (vocations).

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Nine

Ending on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus...


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Eight


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

Don't forget! World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests is this Friday, June 23rd! Spread the word!

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Seven


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

A Pro-Life Must-Read!

Let me preface this article by saying that I normally would not include the whole thing here due to length, but because I believe this story is so worth reading, I am doing it this time. Perhaps someone will read it that wouldn't if I had simply provided a link.

One warning to all: I cried. You will too. If you have make-up on, read this one later.

-------------


Planned Parenthood Celebration Jolted by Abortion Survivor
by Ted Harvey, assistant minority leader, Colorado House

She sings the anthem to applause, then her secret is revealed to stunned silence.

I want to share with you an awesome experience I had in the Colorado House of Representatives on May 8. It is a humbling experience to look back and realize that God used me to play a role in His divine orchestration.

I was leaving the House chambers for the weekend when our Democrat speaker of the House announced that the coming Monday would be the final day of this year's General Assembly. He went on to state that there were still numerous resolutions on the calendar which we would need to be addressed prior to the summer adjournment. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned that one of the resolutions we would be hearing was being carried by the House Majority Leader Alice Madden, honoring the 90th anniversary of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

As a strong pro-life legislator I was disgusted by the idea that we would pass a resolution honoring this 90-year legacy of genocide. I drove home that night wondering what I could say that might pierce the darkness during the debate on this heinous resolution.

On Saturday morning, I took my 8-year-old son up to the mountains to go white-water rafting. The trip lasted all day. As we were driving home, exhausted and hungry, I remembered that I had accepted an invitation to attend a fundraising dinner that night for a local pro-life organization. One of my most respected mentors had personally called me several weeks earlier and asked me to attend, so I knew I'd have to clean up and head over.

After our meal, the executive director of the organization introduced the keynote speaker. I looked up and saw walking to the stage a handicapped young lady being assisted to the microphone by a young man holding a guitar.

Her name was Gianna Jessen.

Gianna said "Hello," welcomed everyone, and then sang three of the most beautiful Christian songs I have ever heard.

She then began to give her testimony. When her biological mother was 17 years old and seven and a half months pregnant, she went to a Planned Parenthood clinic to have an abortion. As God would have it, the abortion failed and a beautiful 2-pound baby girl was brought into the world. Unfortunately, she was born with cerebral palsy and the doctors thought that she would never survive. The doctors were wrong.

Imagine the timing! A survivor of a Planned Parenthood abortion arrived in town just days before the Colorado House of Representatives was to celebrate Planned Parenthood's "wonderful" work.

As I listened to Gianna's amazing testimony, the Lord inspired me to ask her if she could stay in Denver until Monday morning so that I could introduce her on the floor of the House and tell her story. Perhaps she could even begin the final day's session by singing our country's national anthem!

To my surprise she said she would seriously consider it. If she were to agree, she wanted her accompanying guitarist to stay as well. A lady standing in line behind me waiting to meet Gianna overheard our conversation and said that she would be willing to pay for the guitarist's room. Gianna then said that she would think about it.

As I was driving home from the banquet, my cell phone rang. It was Gianna, and she immediately said, "I'm in, let's ruin this celebration." Praise God!

When Monday morning came, I awoke at 6 a.m. to write my speech before heading to the Capitol. As I wrote down the words, I could sense God's help and I knew that this was going to be a powerful moment for the pro-life movement.

Following a committee hearing, I rushed into the House chambers just as the opening morning prayer was about to be given. Between the prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, I wrote a quick note to the speaker of the House explaining that Gianna is an advocate for cerebral palsy. I took the note to the speaker and asked if I could have my friend open the last day of session by singing the national anthem. Without any hesitation the speaker took the microphone and said, "Before we begin, Representative Harvey has made available for us Gianna Jessen to sing the national anthem."

Gianna sang the most amazing rendition of The Star Spangled Banner that you could possibly imagine. Every person in the entire chamber was completely still, quiet and in awe of this frail young lady's voice.

Due to her cerebral palsy, Gianna often loses her balance, and shortly after starting to sing she grabbed my arm to stabilize herself, and I could tell that she was shaking. Suddenly, midway through the song, she forgot the words and began to hum and then said, "Please forgive me; I am so nervous." She then immediately began singing again and every House member and every guest throughout the chambers began to sing along with her to give her encouragement and to lift her up.

As I looked around the huge hall I listened to the unbelievable melody of Gianna's voice being accompanied by a choir of over 100 voices. I had chills running all over my body, and I knew that I had just witnessed an act of God.

As the song concluded the speaker of the House explained that Gianna has cerebral palsy and is an activist to bring awareness to the disease. "Let us give her a hand not only for her performance today, but also for her advocacy work," he said. The chamber immediately exploded into applause -- she had them all in the palm of her hand.

The speaker then called the House to order, and we proceeded as usual to allow members to make any announcements or introductions of guests. For dramatic effect, I waited until I was the last person remaining before I introduced Gianna.

As I waited for my turn, I nervously paced back and forth praying to God that he would give me the peace, confidence and the courage necessary to pull off what I knew would be one of the most dramatic and controversial moments of my political career.

While I waited, a prominent reporter from one of the major Denver newspapers walked over to Gianna and told her that her rendition captured the spirit of the national anthem more powerfully than any she had ever heard before.

Finally, I was the last person remaining. So, I proceeded to the microphone and began my speech.
Members, I would like to introduce you to a new friend and hero of mine -- her name is Gianna Jessen. She is visiting us today from Nashville, Tennessee, where she is an accomplished recording artist.

She has cerebral palsy and was raised in foster homes before being adopted at the age of four.

She was born prematurely and weighed only 2 pounds at birth. She remained in the hospital for almost three months. A doctor once said she had a great will to live and that she fought for her life. Eventually she was able to leave the hospital and be placed in foster care.

Because of her cerebral palsy, her foster mother was told that it was doubtful that she would ever crawl or walk. She could not sit up independently. Through the prayers and dedication of her foster mother, she eventually learned to sit up, crawl, then stand. Shortly before her fourth birthday, she began to walk with leg braces and a walker.

She continued in physical therapy and after a total of four surgeries, she was able to walk without assistance.

She still falls sometimes, but she says she has learned how to fall gracefully after falling for 29 years.

Two years ago, she walked into a local health club and said she wanted a private trainer. At the time her legs could not lift 30 pounds. Today she can leg press 200 pounds.

She became so physically fit that she began running marathons to raise money and awareness for cerebral palsy. She just returned last week from England where she ran in the London Marathon. It took her more than eight-and-a-half hours to complete. They were taking down the course by the time she made it to the finish line. But she made it, nonetheless. With bloody feet and aching joints, she finished the race.

Members would you help me recognize a modern-day hero -- Gianna Jessen?
At this point the chamber exploded into applause which lasted for 15-to-20 seconds. Gianna had touched their souls.

Ironically, Alice Madden, the majority leader and sponsor of the Planned Parenthood resolution, walked over to Gianna and congratulated her.

As the applause began to die down, I raised my hand to be recognized one more time.
Mr. Speaker, members, if you would allow me just a few more moments I would appreciate your time.

My name is Ted Harvey, not Paul Harvey, but, please, let me tell you the rest of the story.

The cause of Gianna's cerebral palsy is not because of some biological freak of nature, but rather the choice of her mother.

You see when her biological mother was 17-years-old and 7-and-a-half months pregnant, she went to a Planned Parenthood clinic to seek a late-term abortion. The abortionist performed a saline abortion on this 17-year-old girl. This procedure requires the injection of a high concentration of saline into the mother's womb, which the fetus is then bathed in and swallows, which results in the fetus being burned to death, inside and out. Within 24 hours the results are normally an induced, still-born abortion.

As Gianna can testify, the procedure is not always 100 percent effective. Gianna is an aborted late-term fetus who was born alive. The high concentration of saline in the womb for 24 hours resulted in a lack of oxygen to her brain and is the cause of her cerebral palsy.

Members, today, we are going to recognize the 90th anniversary of Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood…"
BANG! The gavel came down.

Just as I was finishing the last sentence of my speech -- the climax of the morning -- the speaker of the House gaveled me down and said, "Representative Harvey, I will allow you to continue your introduction, but not for the purposes of debating a measure now pending before the House."

At which point I said, "Mr. Speaker, I understand. I just wanted to put a face to what we are celebrating today."

Silence.

Deafening silence.

I then walked back to my chair shaking like a leaf. The Democrats wouldn't look at me. They were fuming. It was beautiful. I have been in the Legislature for five tough years, and this made it all worthwhile.

The House majority leader wouldn't talk to me the rest of the day.

Was it because I introduced an abortion survivor, or was it because we touched her soul? She could congratulate an inspirational cerebral palsy victim and advocate, but was outraged when she discovered that the person she congratulated was also an abortion survivor.

The headline in The Denver Post the next day read "Abortion Jab Earns Rebuke." The majority leader is quoted as saying, "I think it was amazingly rude to use a human being as an example of his personal politics."

Yes, Representative Madden, Gianna Jessen is a human being. She was when she was in her mother's womb, and she was when she sang the national anthem on the floor of the Colorado House of Representatives.

The paper went on to quote Gianna, stating she was glad I told her story.

"We need to discuss the humanity of it. I'm glad to be able to speak up for children in the womb," she said. "If abortion is about women's rights, where were my rights?"

All I can say is, "Glory to God!" He orchestrated it all, every minute of it, and I was so honored to have been chosen to play a part. May we all continue to be filled with and to fight for the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ!

-------------


If you've read all that and have not been touched, well... I don't know. I'm sure you were. I'm also sure that you want to email Mr. Harvey. His email address can be found at the bottom of the page that I linked to at the beginning of the article.

May we all be as bold and brave as Mr. Harvey when we have the opportunity to defend life!

May God bless each of you abundantly now and always. Be holy!

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Six


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Virtues of Mary - Continual Mental Prayer (Part 2 of 11)

You'll have to forgive me for not doing these in order. I will do them in the order in which I see fit for any number of reasons. It should be understood that mastery of any one of these most likely means mastery of all. This is what we should strive for.

Some thoughts on Continual Mental Prayer from the original post:
Continual mental prayer -- Luke 1:46-47 , Acts 1:14
Prayer is raising our minds and heart to God or requesting good things from God as our Blessed Mother asks for us and listening with our hearts to words He speaks to our inner-most being and responding with praise and thanksgiving.
True devotion must not stop with our devotional prayer life. True devotion involves thoughts and actions that flow from a heart of love for God and neighbor.
I think the concept of continual mental prayer is one that most would understand. It is, after all, exactly what it says. It is to pray in every single moment of our lives. It is to listen to God, petition Him, praise Him, LOVE Him in all that we say and do. We must give Him our hearts and souls and allow Him to be the sole thing for which we live. We must make Him the center of every word and action so that in each moment He is glorified. As it says above, true devotion involves thoughts and actions that flow from a heart of love for God and neighbor. The best way to have and embrace and nurture the love of God and neighbor is to pray. God alone gives us the ability to love and through Him we can love beyond limit. When we love someone in and through God, and we love God in and through other people, we will be living our lives to the fullest. Our life will be our prayer. Our continual prayer.

What better way is there to learn to love and to live in love than to converse with the God who gives us every part of Himself despite our sinfulness?

Monday, June 19, 2006

A Prayer for Vocations

God our Father and Creator,

We believe that you have made
each of us in your image and likeness.
Help us to lead lives that reflect that belief.

Increase happy vocations to the married life and the single life,
the religious life and the ordained life.

May we as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers,
single women and single men, sisters and brothers,
deacons, priests and bishops, be open to your grace.

Grant that we may seek always to do your will
and delight in the work which makes your name
and your love known throughout the world.

We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus, your Son,
and the Holy Spirit, our guide.
Amen.

Prayer of His Excellency, The Most Reverend David Allen Zubik
on the day of his installation as the twelfth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Five


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Corpus Christi

How appropriate it is this year that Father's Day falls on this feast. Happy Father's day to all men (who are in fact a father in some form). May God bless each of you abundantly and help you as you guide your children to be holy men and women of God.

A most blessed feast of Corpus Christi to all!


For some background and a link to more great info, read Happy Catholic's latest...


(BTW - Catholic Underground is tonight and I could not be more excited! I'll blog about it (and the ten virutes, as promised) very soon.)

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Four


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Three


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

A Prayer of Acceptance

Acceptance of Life in the Present Moment

Jesus, I want to live in the present moment, to live as if this were the last day of my life. I want to use every moment scrupulously for the greater glory of God, to use every circumstance for the benefit of my soul. I want to look upon everything from the point of view that nothing happens without the will of God. God of unfathomable mercy, embrace the whole world and pour Yourself out upon us and through the merciful Heart of Jesus. Amen.
(From the diary of Saint Faustina)


Found at Prayers for Catholics a while back. Really like it.

Friday, June 16, 2006

I'm the Cross of St. Benedict



What Kind of Cross are You?



You are the Cross of St. Benedict: This cross is inscribed with several prayers for holiness and peace including, -May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my guide- and -Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!-
Take this quiz!



And since I'm me, I took it again (changing the answers I wasn't 100% on) and came up with the same answer as Cynthia at Mormon2Catholic.

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day Two


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

passed along via a phatmasser who found it at vocation.com
In 2002, Pope John Paul II announced a special "Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests" to be held annually on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Catholics everywhere are invited to celebrate this day with prayer and sacrifice for their priests.

"I would also like to invite the whole Christian community to pray for the sanctification of priests. I also remember the day of my priestly ordination. I again express my gratitude to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for this grace offered me almost 49 years ago.

Holiness is a vocation common to all believers. But since the priest must guide his brothers and sisters, he has an additional reason to be holy. The People of God and public opinion itself are not mistaken, then, in expecting from priests a witness of life that is deeply consistent, even to the point of heroism.

Nevertheless, we should not forget that holiness should be implored from God, since by its nature it is an arduous way in which priests, no less than other men, are marked by weakness.

It is therefore essential for the Christian community to support them with its prayer. This is why, in my Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday this year, I suggested that all the Dioceses of the world celebrate a "Day for the Sanctification of Priests", to call upon the Lord so that all his ministers will live in ever fuller conformity with the heart of the Good Shepherd.

I entrust these new priests and, with them, all the priests of the world to the Blessed Virgin, especially those who are suffering the most, who are the loneliest, the most sorely tried, so that sustained by her motherly tenderness, they may experience the full joy of their mission." (John Paul II)

Suggestions for Celebrating the "World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests"

1. Offer an hour of Adoration for Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life in honor of your parish priest. Send him a note and let him know you prayed for his intentions and for all vocations.

2. Offer a Mass, family rosary or other devotion for the intentions of your parish priest.

3. Encourage your children to pray for the priest that baptized them, or the one that hears their confessions or celebrates Mass for them. Have them write them a short note. Younger children can add a picture they have drawn or colored.

4. Invite your parish priest to dinner or make a meal and drop it by the rectory. Include a note with a picture of your family to make it even more personal.

5. Do you have a special talent that might be of help to your priest or parish? Let your priest know and ask him if he can use your help.

6. Pray for your priest just before you leave Mass on Sunday and say "Thank you for your vocation, Father." on the way out.

How will you celebrate this day? Please remember your priests that are guiding you now, priests that have passed away, and all the priests that will be ordained in the future (vocations).
The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls this year on June 23rd. Mark your calendars and spread the word!

UPDATE: Read the Vatican Letter for World Day of Prayer for Sanctification of Priests (Sent by the Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy) here.

Cardinal Virtues

The post over at Happy Catholic about the four cardinal virtues is what made me think of the Ten Virtues of Mary.

Looking through my notes I found where I had scribbled down ideas on the cardinal virtues. While they are nothing compared to what is offered elsewhere, I'll post them anyway. For someone like myself, this is a good explanation to start with. Baby steps... baby steps.
Prudence: The opposite of being impulsive - requires that you approach moral problems with a degree of caution. Also called wise judgement, prudence relies heavily on our reason. In fact, Saint Thomas Aquinas (!) called it "right reason in action" (CCC 1806)

Justice: giving both God and neighbor what is their due - habit of thinking about the needs of others as much as your own needs and acting on what you know to be fair

Temperance: balance in your life - self-control in all areas of our life

Fortitude: strengthens us to overcome obstacles to living morally

-->With God guiding our efforts though Divine Grace, the cardinal virtues will bring our moral life to a higher level of integrity
That's all I had... and it was enough for me. I do encourage all to read the post (linked to above) over at Happy Catholic. It is, like all others, a good one. *thumbs up*

May God bless you and Mary protect you. Be holy!

10 Virtues of Mary (Part One of Eleven)

The 10 Virtues of Mary are what I like to say "makes Mary... Mary!" (Insert awkward laughter here)

But seriously, the ten virtues of Mary are something we should always keep close to our heart and try to imitate every day. Mary is one of our most perfect examples. Since she too was a woman, I often find myself running back to her and her life and asking her what I should do. What a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL example she is to us.

I don't hear the ten virtues of Mary being talked about often but I believe they are a good and most worthy topic. We talked about them a lot last year on our girls' retreat and I know that I definitely benefited from them (and continue to benefit - no doubt). So what are the virtues?

Well.. before we get a head of ourselves, why don't we review how the Catechism defines virtue. *Note: this is not the second edition but rather the edition that was still being used last summer... you know, the white one!
CCC 1833: Virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do good.
Okay.. now for the virtues of Mary...
10 Virtues of Mary as told by St. Louis de Monfort:
"...profound humility, her lively faith, her blind obedience, her continual mental prayer, her mortification in all things, her surpassing purity, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelic sweetness, and her divine wisdom..."
What is to follow is from my notebook from the retreat last year... meaning lots of broken quotes and references. I will dive deeper into each one individually but for now I wish to only give what pieces I have in front of me.

Profound humility -- Luke 1:26-30 , Luke 1:48
"There is true humility in the one who, when praised from the outside, is sad and troubled within..."
"The path that leads us to ultimate union with Christ is not the unfolding of our natural power and of wealth of our gifts, but our complete surrender and relinquishment of self."
We must choose among all devotions to our Blessed Mother the one which draws us most toward death to ourselves, which will be the best and most sanctifying. In our yearning to be transformed in Christ, let us pray, "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto thine."

Ardent charity -- Luke 1:34,56
Be sensitive to those in distress - to the hungry, the poor, the homeless, the imprisoned, the sick and the sorrowful. Pray, forgive, and comfort and always lean toward the side of mercy which leads to ardent charity.

Continual mental prayer -- Luke 1:46-47 , Acts 1:14
Prayer is raising our minds and heart to God or requesting good things from God as our Blessed Mother asks for us and listening with our hearts to words He speaks to our inner-most being and responding with praise and thanksgiving.
True devotion must not stop with our devotional prayer life. True devotion involves thoughts and actions that flow from a heart of love for God and neighbor.

Divine wisdom -- Luke 2:15-19 , Luke 2:46-51
Let us never let our wisdom oppose the wisdom of God. Whatever God wishes is good. We must act according to Christian wisdom' to mortify all our inordinate inclinations and never attach our heart to vain, perishable goods of the world, to guard against sin, the practice virtue and good works and to love God above all things and with all of our heart.

Universal mortification -- Luke 2:33-35
In order to possess the grace of the cross, or of compassion for our crucified Lord and for His Virgin Mother, we must consider that this grace is not found in the land of those who live a carefee life. God uses sorrow in our lives to give us grace and strengthen our compassion for others. --> to die to self

-- At this point I'm not sure where the other notes on the remaining five virtues are exactly. Perhaps I missed the talk on the other five virtues or maybe we did not have time to cover them all in depth. My memory is failing me at the moment so I cannot be sure which it is. Either way, I had a couple of pages in the back of my notebook where I summarized, I'm sure with the help of one of our wonderful leaders, what each of the virtues is about. --

Profound humility: modesty
Continual mental prayer: He is our center and focus at all times even when attending to other tasks
Ardent charity: Christ-like love and refraining from evil actions
Divine wisdom: soul knowledge
Universal mortification: dying to self at all times
Divine purity: purity that comes from God - pure from sin, especially sexual sins
Blind obedience: obedience to the authority God puts into your life
Angelic sweetness: sweetness like the angels - stems from a prayer life that is constant - always being centered on God
Heroic patience: patience beyond measure that is practiced at all times in every situation
Lively faith: faith always active and moving with the Holy Spirit

Again, do look for posts in the coming days that dive deeper into each of these virtues.

So... if you had to choose one or two virtues to work on, which would they be? If I had to pray for help in a couple of the areas I would probably need to most focus on ... all of them. Haha. So hard to choose just one. Probably... profound humility, ardent charity, and heroic patience. (I know I picked three - so sue me.)

New to the Blogroll - One You Can't Miss!

I don't know how long I've gone without knowing that this blog was out there. Has the author commented before and I simply failed to check her out? Was I really that passive about who she was and what she was blogging about?

Well, as not to waste time on what I hadn't done in the past, let's just say I'm happy to have found this blog! I've only read one full entry and larger segments of others (I had to know if they were all as good as the first!) but I can tell you that this is definitely a blog worth reading. Here's the first post I read to get you started.

She's being added to my sidebar and to my bookmarks. Props to Sarah!

I think the "cat got [my] tongue"...

I wish I had more to say about the new translation for the Mass but I really don't. Perhaps in time I might...

You heard it folks... New Mass Translation Gets the "OK"

New Catholic Mass translation OK'd
Vatican wants wording in liturgy closer to Latin version

Thursday, June 15, 2006; Posted: 11:24 p.m. EDT (03:24 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The nation's Roman Catholic bishops signed off Thursday on a new English translation for the Mass that would change prayers ingrained in the memories of millions of American parishioners.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted at its biannual meeting for a new translation after a brief but vigorous debate over several small changes in wording.

The 173-29 vote on the Order of the Mass was aimed at satisfying Vatican calls for a translation closer to the Latin version.

Before Mass changes at the parish level, the Americans' version must go to offices in the Holy See for final approval. The bishops' leader on the issue said that process could take years.

"Without a doubt, this is the most significant liturgical action to come before this body for many years," said Bishop Donald Trautman, chairman of the conference's Committee on Liturgy.

"It will take some adapting, but it is not earth-shattering when you think of the changes we went through 40 years ago," he said, referring to the Second Vatican Council, where the Latin Mass was replaced by the vernacular languages in each country.

The new translation alters the wording of key texts spoken by Catholics during worship, including the Nicene Creed, the Gloria, the Penitential Rite, the Sanctus and Communion.


Read the rest...

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Day One


Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.


-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Thanks to Seven77 at phatmass.com for this!

Spiritual Adoption

I don't know the first time I heard of spiritual adoption but I know I've known of it for a while now. The whole concept is that you ... well ... spiritually adopt a baby. An unborn baby. How you choose to pray for the little joy is up to you. The idea is simply that you pray for him or her. I have found it to be a very rewarding excercise. (There are unexpected blessings in it for sure.) I know I haven't written much, but there isn't much to say. I would encourage everyone to do this. There are so many helpless unborn that could use our prayers! Fight for life for those who can't.

+God, save the children!

Interior Castle

from St Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle -- my prayer right now to God to save me...

Ah, my Lord! It is here that we have need of thine aid, without which we can do nothing. Of Thy mercy, not let this soul to be deluded and led astray when its journey is but begun. Give it light so that it may see how all its welfare consists in this and may flee from evil companionship. It is a very great thing for a person to associate with others who are walking in the right way: to mix, not only with those whom he sees in the rooms where he himself is, but with those whom he knows to have entered the rooms nearer the centre, for they will be of great help to him and he can get into such close touch with them that they will take him with them. Let him have a fixed determination not to allow himself to be beaten, for, if the devil sees that he has firmly resolved to lose his life and his peace and everything that he can offer him rather than to return to the first room, he will very soon cease troubling him. Let him play the man and not be like those who went down on their knees in order to drink when they went to battle ... but let him be resolute, for he is going forth to fight with all the devils and there are no better weapons than the Cross.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Ooo they make me so mad!

Ever catch yourself saying/thinking that? I definitely did last night. My family and I had just pulled into the Knights of Columbus parking lot, towels now in arms and almost ready to head to the gate for a quick dip before running home to catch the Mavs game. I walked to the back of the car and was waiting there for everyone to make sure that neither of the "little ones" ran into the street and got hit. Parked next to us was the most awful bumper sticker I can remember seeing in my whole life. It made me so angry. I was extremely put out with it, especially in the KofC parking lot of all places! I turned pink and started mumbling my frustrations there under my breath. When my dad asked me what was wrong I could only point and say, "that." I asked half jokingly if we still had the Sharpie in the car from packing up my grandparents earlier. I promise though, if I had been by myself, I would have FOUND a Sharpie somewhere and blacked out that sticker. It was awful. I considered it for a while but I knew my parents would not approve. The whole time we were there I sat at our table thinking about what I would have done if I had been alone. Would I have only marked it out? Would I have sat and waited for the owner of the truck? Would I have walked away? I really in my gut felt I probably would have blacked it out and waited. (Then I felt guilty for not doing something anyway. The only reason I didn't was because my dad had already told me to just leave it alone. Someone later mumbled something about free speech and that almost made me run and do it anyway.) It's hard to know what one would do in those situations. All I know is that last night I just got mad ... and then I prayed. But first I got mad. Surely by now (if you've made it this far in the post) you're wondering what in the world the bumper sticker said... or you have some idea of what it was and are wondering if you're right. Well thanks to google and a bigillion "feminist" (if they only knew what true feminism is!) sites out there I have this for you. Wait no more...

Condoms are easier to change than diapers.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Accessory to Sin

NINE WAYS OF BEING ACCESSORY TO ANOTHER'S SIN

1. By counsel.
2. By command.
3. By consent.
4. By provocation.
5. By praise or flattery.
6. By concealment.
7. By partaking.
8. By silence.
9. By defense of the ill done.


Sometimes, when you try to avoid these situations, or you go back and correct your error in having engaged in one of the actions listed above, you lose people - people you thought were friends. Sometimes watching out for someone's sanctity can bite you in the butt... and it sucks.

+Lord, place me where you would have me.

Humility Check

If ever you feel like you're starting to understand humility, think again. All it took for me was rereading St Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle. Great book. It should be noted before beginning, however, that if you are not to a certain stage in your spiritual journey, venturing too far into it will just be reading with little understanding. There is a lot of mystery behind a lot of what she writes (for me at least). It's neat but it definitely requires that you reread and reread.


+Lord, teach me humility.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Bring It Home

While I haven't decided exactly how soon it should happen, there is no doubt in my mind that it will happen. What am I talking about? Well the NBA Finals of course! My Mavs are in this year (for the first time) and I'm cheering them on the whole way.



Kicking butt and taking names, Stackhouse is doing very well tonight. We're at the half and up by sixteen. What seemed like a good game in the beginning is quickly becoming better. Kind of. It's a lot more fun to see them battle it out to the end but at the same time, taking charge and gaining a lead isn't going to hurt us either. As long as we take it, we've taken it. I don't care how.

The Mavs deserve mad props for just making it this far. It'll be sweeter when they make it all the way.

GO MAVS!! WE LOVE YOU - ALWAYS!!

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Begging Your Patience - Teresa of Avila and Me

Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila is such a great read that I pick it up constantly and reread things that I read (sometimes) only days before. One thing that has always struck me (on a less profound level - personal, not theological) is the following passage:
"These interior matters are so obscure to the mind that anyone with as little learning as I will be sure to have to say many superfluous and even irrelevant things in order to say a single one that is to the point. The reader must have patience with me, as I have with myself when writing about things of which I know nothing; for really sometimes I take up my paper, like a perfect fool, with no idea of what to say or of how to begin. I fully realize how important it is for you that I explain certain interior matters to the best of my ability;...The trouble, as I have said, is that, before I can get to them, I shall have to explain many things that are well known - it is bound to be so when a person is as stupid as I."
So, although I have never attempted to explain anything remotely close to such that is contained in this book, nor have I been blessed with a profound understanding of anything above those basic things which Teresa mentions, I relate in her struggle to say anything of meaning without surrounding it with "many superfluous and even irrelevant things". So then if I were to rewrite it to suit my own needs it would beg patience and understanding of my readers, so far as I have with myself. If I frustrate or disappoint, or most importantly, speak against that which the Church has taught to be True, it is out of ignorance and I pray that it is not held against God or His Church or any of the Church's people. It is me who is made a fool and me alone.

In Need of Prayer?

In need of prayer? Look no further: Moneybags at Holy Vocations has a list for you of sisters that take online prayer requests! Check it out.

Mikey! Stop throwing your spaghetti! It's rude!

A question I posed elsewhere...

So I have a lot of friends that are very open with ... their bodies? This is not to say that they are sexually active or intend to be before marriage, however, I still think much of it to be inappropriate. Perhaps it is me being uptight?

I don't enjoy seeing my friends that are in relationships hanging all over their significant other. Be affectionate, don't be gross. This would include but is not limited to: intertwined legs and (oddly enough) toes, sitting on a persons lap (or having them in yours), sitting in between someone's legs, carrying a person on your shoulders (or being carried on someone's shoulders), holding the other closely (fronts together or one person's back to the other's front) while carrying on a conversation, and (sometimes) piggy back rides (which is kinda like being on someone's shoulders).


At some ages these things might be appropriate but honestly, I don't really see any young age where this would be happening between two people of opposite sexes. I think this would happen with girls more so than guys, but perhaps guys too.


Am I uptight? Is this a little much? At what age/point are certain behaviors no longer acceptable?

One Year Later: How Do You Feel?

Matt Hardesty, twin brother of my good friend, Nick, keeps a blog (the school of Mary) and recently posted this article about his first year in the seminary:
Young Adult Life
Young seminarian offers a reflection on his first year of studies
Matthew Hardesty
Guest Columnist

“Be renewed in the spirit of your mind: And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.” (Ephesians 4:23-24)

The Record, May 24, 2006 -

I have been thinking much about this particular verse in Scripture as I approach the end of my first year of seminary at St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore.

Benedictine Abbot Lambert Reilly, former archabbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, translates the first part of this passage to say, “Your inmost being must be renewed.” Certainly, deep and profound change must occur in a young man from the time he enters seminary to the time, God willing, he is ordained. I would like to share with you some thoughts on my first year of this formation.

Much has happened since I last wrote in this space about my initial reactions to seminary. I am now more confident in life at the seminary and have grown accustomed to the daily routine of prayer and classes. During my second semester I have taken the second half of introduction to Catholic theology, philosophical ethics, Latin I, introduction to Scripture, history of philosophy II and metaphysics.

Philosophy has been stimulating but also challenging as it prepares me for theological studies. But life at St. Mary’s has not been totally consumed with classes. There have been many other experiences throughout the year that have contributed to my overall growth.

I have been able to pray twice a month with other seminarians at the local abortion clinic to practice the theological virtues that we learn about in class. And going to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., in January, with the entire seminary community, was a wonderful opportunity to witness with others to the Gospel of life on a broad scale.

My “pastoral placement” has also brought me much fulfillment. Three other seminarians and I develop the necessary pastoral skills we will need to serve the people of God by tutoring inner-city adults, young and old, who are studying for the general education development (G.E.D.) test. Their motivation and initiative are inspirational.

I am glad to be able to share the gifts that the Lord has given me, and am honored to listen to the many different stories of those who have decided to change their lives, with the G.E.D. as a first step to making this happen. Our study sessions have also given me the opportunity to practice sharing my faith with others in many different ways.

For me, perhaps the most important experiences have been the various liturgies that I have participated in. There have been large Masses, such as the Vigil Mass for Life before the march in Washington and the Mass celebrating the 50 years of priesthood and 25 years of episcopacy of Baltimore’s Cardinal William Keeler.

Being able to attend smaller Masses at different parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore has given me a greater appreciation for the universality and diversity of the Catholic church. The daily liturgies at St. Mary’s also have given me the spiritual nourishment I need to continue in formation and to grow in holiness.

Receiving the Ministry of Lector, making me an “official” reader at Mass, has been a tremendous blessing. Serving at different parishes in Louisville during Christmas and Easter breaks also has brought me closer to the altar and given me a taste for what God holds for me in the future.

Your prayers and support have helped me tremendously, as have your letters and cards, such as those from the students at Immaculate Conception in LaGrange, Ky. They bring me much joy.

This summer I will be staying in the rectory at St. Rita Church on Preston Highway and working with Father Robert Ray at St. Jerome Church in Fairdale, Ky., and St. Mary Church in Bullitt County. Please pray for me as I enter this next step in my formation, that through Mary’s intercession I might grow “in justice and holiness of truth.”

Matthew Hardesty is a young adult seminarian at St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore.
Article originally published to The Record

Friday, June 09, 2006

Remembering a Saint

My confirmation saint... St. Maria Goretti
patron of youth, young women, purity, and victims of rape



Born in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy, on October 16 1890; her farmworker father moved his family to Ferrier di Conca, near Anzio. Her father died of malaria and her mother had to struggle to feed her children.

In 1902 an eighteen-year-old neighbor, Alexander, grabbed her from her steps and tried to rape her. When Maria said that she would rather died than submit, Alexander began stabbing her with a knife.

As she lay in the hospital, she forgave Alexander before she died. Her death didn't end her forgivness, however.

Alexander was captured and sentenced to thirty years. He was unrepentant until he had a dream that he was in a garden. Maria was there and gave him flowers. When he woke, he was a changed man, repenting of his crime and living a reformed life. When he was released after 27 years he went directly to Maria's mother to beg her forgiveness, which she gave. "If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withold forgiveness," she said.

When Maria was declared a saint in 1950, Alexander was there in the St. Peter's crowd to celebrate her canonization. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950 for her purity as model for youth.

She is called a martyr because she fought against Alexander's attempts at sexual assault. However, the most important aspect of her story is her forgiveness of her attacker -- her concern for her enemy extending even beyond death. Her feast day is July 6. St. Maria Goretti is the patroness of youth and for the victims of rape.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Taking Care of Body, Mind, and Soul

I can't believe it's been four days since I've updated. It doesn't feel like it's been that long. I guess I've been a little distracted lately with everything going on. My friend's wedding is steadily approaching which means there are more and more things to be done in a shorter amount of time. There have now been two (?) showers and another one to come. Showers along with last minute things that have yet to be done and a little bit of pre-wedding workouts has kept me busy when I'm not at work. Oh... and sleep.

Anyway, I thought I would take a couple of minutes to remind everyone that it is important to take care of every part of ourselves that God gave to us. He gave us our bodies, our minds, and our souls. We should take care of each of those because each of them, through God, is precious. We should cherish and value them while we are here. I am not promoting vanity but I am promoting good health. Health for your body means eating right and getting excercise. Health for your mind probably means not keeping things bottled up - letting go and letting loose. Health for your soul means confession and the Eucharist.

I had a friend tell me how incredibly important the sacraments were in the discernment process. Every time I hear that though, I want to say, "the sacraments are vital to everyone at every time." It's true! When I find myself in a funk (and I have in the last couple of days) I ask myself how long it's been since I've been to confession and then how long it's been since I've received Christ within the holy sacrafice of the Mass.

So there is my five minute post to hold me over until later today. Albeit short, I believe it important.


May God bless you abundantly now and always! Be holy!

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Totally Yours

This post from Happy Catholic has a good quote that no one should forget (forget the concept that is! You don't have to memorize it!).
Our vocation is to belong to Jesus. The easiest way and the simplest way of belonging is this: the Holy Spirit makes us do that giving of self, that total surrender to God, without any reflection, without counting the cost. We call that "blind surrender." It is like Our Lady: when she knew that the Lord was calling, she said yes. And she never withdrew that yes. It was a blind, continual yes in her life. It is the same thing for us. The whole of our life must come to that one word: yes. Yes to God: that is holiness. We allow God to take from us whatever he wants and we accept whatever he gives with a big smile. That is yes in action.

We must know exactly when we say yes to God what is in that yes. Yes means "I surrender," totally, fully, without any counting the cost, without any examination, "Is it all right? Is it convenient?" Our yes to God is without any reservations. I belong to him so totally that there are no reservations. It doesn't matter what we feel.
--Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta
That is what I wish. Total surrender.

One of my favorite praise and worship songs has always been "Consume Me". The lyrics go:

Completely, consume me Lord (girls echo)(4x)

I am the clay, You are the Potter
I am the child, You are the Father

The only thing I want
is to be captured and
surrounded by your love
Oh Lord, won’t you consume me,

Completely

Love that song. Pope John Paul the Great was known for the phrase "Totus Tuus" which, in Latin, means 'totally yours'. I have taken it as my own now too and it is who I am. Mother Teresa is explaining my phrase. (And hopefully one day, my tatoo.)

+
Tota Tua

God bless and Mary protect now and always! Embrace God's grace! Be holy!

Back Blogging

My new job provides no real blogging material... or at least not yet. I suppose I could talk about weird men who walk around alone at night and turn off the air conditioners in building 7 long enough for their wives to sleep comfortably and then turn them on again in the morning. I could talk about crazy ladies who sound like broken stereos every time you talk to them. I could talk about drunkards and their ridiculous arguments... with themselves.


But I'm not sure that's really interesting.


So instead of blogging about my job, I'll talk about one other experience from a couple of weeks ago... It was probably a week and a half or so before my brothers first reception of Jesus in the Eucharist and I was outside raking. (It seemed as though God really liked to reveal little things to me while I was raking. It happened a number of times.) I don't know what I was thinking about when I realized that my raking could be related to our lives.

You see, our yard was covered by dead leaves and dead grass. It was choking what little good grass we had left. So we had a guy come out and fix up the yard a bit. He raked A LOT and so did his wife. They probably came two or three times and spent at least an hour out there. Even after they left though, there was a lot still to be rid of. After about a year or so of not really touching the yard (it wasn't obvious how bad it was), it was going to take some serious work to get it cleaned up -- and it's no small yard. So I went out there and started on one side of the yard. I slowly but surely made my way across and around, very thorougly raking out all the bad stuff. In addition to raking it all out we were going to have the tree pruned. Yes, one tree. It covers over half of our back yard -- and half of the neighbors! It reaches back past the fence (since it's probably 15 feet or so from the back) and all the way to our houses. It needed to be cut.

How does this have anything at all to do with our lives? (You mean you don't want to just read about all the work we did to our yard? I haven't even gotten to the bird bath yet!)

Well, I figure it's something like this: We are the yard, the general area. The grass is representative of our spiritual growth. When we have water and light (water being the sacraments and other positive influences and the light (sun) being the light of Christ through the sacraments (because we have to accept the light IN the sacraments for them to be beneficial)) we grow healthy and strong. The leaves are sin. The overgrowth on the tree is when we don't allow Christ into our lives. The leaves and the tree together represent luke-warmness.

So you see, in raking our lives we attempt to rid ourselves of sin and starvation. We want to rake up what is bad in order that we might see what good there is. The strong will survive -- and the good is strong. So we rake what up what is bad, rid ourselves of that horrible burden, but we can't stop there. We have to prune the trees of evil temptation. We have to embrace the light of Christ again (more and more) so that we might grow closer to Him (you know the grass growing taller is kind of like us getting closer... ah never mind). We must continue to water ourselves, allow ourselves to be moved by grace in the sacraments and people in our lives. And as it seems to be with most things, we can't do it only once. We must continue to rid ourselves of choking materials (negative influences, sinful habits, etc.) and keep the tree of temptation cut back, allowing the light to come in (by going to confession and allowing Christ to penetrate our souls through the Eucharist).

When we first start on this, it is quite difficult to see that anything is really being done. It's hard to see what a tremendous effect this will have on us and our lives. The further we go, however, the more obvious it is that we are doing something good and worthy of our time. It's no easy process and it definitely is not a quick one. It takes time and a lot of hard work. And again, as it seems to be with most things regarding holiness, the further you get in your journey, the more obvious it is what still needs to be healed. (Remember the post about getting closer to the light in dirty clothes?) You find more and more little things that need to be raked and the more you rake, the more you want to do a good job. Once you are a good way through you are dumbfounded at how horribly unclean you were. You wonder how you could have let so much time go by in such an awful state. You see the beauty that lies on the other side and stare blankly, unable to understand. Your passion and intensity grows with each passing minute and you want only to be penetrated by goodness.

So you see? Our lives are like the cleaning out of my backyard.


You can run a number of places with that thought and I believe all of them to be good. You can imagine allowing the grass to grow in thick and beautifully bright green. You can imagine adding little flower beds, lining them, and filling them with beautiful flowers. You can imagine bringing out the bird bath and filling it with water, allowing thirsty souls to reach goodness through you. You invite the little ones into the yard to soak up the sun (Son?) and to enjoy the graces you have already found.

So there ends my post. Hope it wasn't a bore. God bless and Mary protect you now and always! Be holy!

Friday, June 02, 2006

Back to Blogging

Last day of the graveyard shift means back to blogging for me! Who's excited? I am!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Three Thumbs Up for Cardinal Arinze

Letter from Cardinal Arinze to Bishop Skylstad about Liturgical Translations
http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?RecNum=6954

2 May 2006

The Most Reverend William Skylstad
Bishop of Spokane
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Prot. n. 499/06/L

Your Excellency,

With reference to the conversation between yourself, the Vice President and General Secretary of the Conference of Bishops of which you are President, together with me and other Superiors and Officials when you kindly visited our Congregation on 27 April 2006, I wish to recall the following:

The Instruction Liturgiam Authenticam is the latest document of the Holy See which guides translations from the original-language liturgical texts into the various modern languages in the Latin Church. Both this Congregation and the Bishops’ Conferences are bound to follow its directives. This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is therefore not competent to grant the recognitio for translations that do not conform to the directives of Liturgiam authenticam. If, however, there are difficulties regarding the translation of a particular part of a text, then this Congregation is always open to dialogue in view of some mutually agreeable solution, still keeping in mind, however, that Liturgiam authenticam remains the guiding norm.

The attention of your Bishops’ Conference was also recalled to the fact that Liturgiam Authenticam was issued at the directive of the Holy Father at the time, Pope John Paul II, to guide new translations as well as the revision of all translations done in the last forty years, to bring them into greater fidelity to the original-language official liturgical texts. For this reason it is not acceptable to maintain that people have become accustomed to a certain translation for the past thirty or forty years, and therefore that it is pastorally advisable to make no changes. Where there are good and strong reasons for a change, as has been determined by this Dicastery in regard to the entire translation of the Missale Romanum as well as other important texts, then the revised text should make the needed changes. The attitudes of Bishops and Priests will certainly influence the acceptance of the texts by the lay faithful as well.

Requesting Your Excellency to share these reflections with the Bishops of your Conference I assure you of the continued collaboration of this Congregation and express my religious esteem,

Devotedly yours in Christ,

+Francis Card. Arinze

Prefect, Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Sleep is good.

Sleep is good... so good. I slept almost the entire day yesterday. I woke up with barely enough time to deliver the 6th Annunal Girls' Retreat invitations, grocercy shop with my mother, grab a bite to eat, and race to work. Sleep is next on my agenda for today. (More about the retreat later.) Sleep is good... so good.


God bless and Mary protect now and always. Be holy!