Archive for May, 2008

The Visitation

theophilus May 31st, 2008

Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The story is told in Luke 1 and gives us two great prayers.

The first great prayer is the second part of the Hail Mary.  The first part of Ave Maria is taken from the Annunciation when St. Gabriel cries out -

Hail Mary, full of grace.  The Lord is with you.

The second part is taken from the Visitation when St. Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist, proclaims -

Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

The second great prayer is the Magnificat, which is Mary’s proclamation of joy and gratefulness for God’s immense blessings.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

It’s the Magnificat that makes up a part of the Evening Prayer offered by the Church each and every night as part of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Visitation also makes up one of the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, contemplated on the part of the Church at least twice a week.

I don’t think we can underscore enough the importance of the Visitation in our faith.

The Visitation is important because Mary showed her immense love for her neighbor and dedication to God by setting off in “haste” to visit St. Elizabeth – no hesitation, she was off as soon as she heard the news. 

St. Elizabeth faithfully believed in the miraculous nature of her elderly pregnancy and of the feeling that the Holy Spirit put into her soul that her cousin was carrying the Son of God. 

Jesus and St. John the Baptist knew in utero that each other existed (so, is it good to be pro-life or what).

Mary through her Magnificat showed a special humility and intimacy with God.

What would the world be like if we all had this love, humility and devotion, believed in God’s ability to work miracles, listened to the Holy Spirit, and just believed in ourselves and each other.

Let us truly contemplate the Visitation today.  The divine cast of this story has a great deal to teach us.

Sacred Heart & A Prayer for Priests

theophilus May 30th, 2008

Today is a great day for prayer. 

First, we have the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We should pray that we become aware of all the ways that Christ loves us and that we grow in faith so that we are able to show our love for him - that we are able to join our hearts with his.

Here is one of my favorite Sacred Heart prayers.  It’s from St. Francis de Sales.

May Your Heart dwell always in our hearts!  May Your Blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!  O sun of our hearts, You give life to all things by the rays of Your goodness!  I will not go until Your heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!  May the Heart of Jesus be the King of my heart!  Blessed be God, Amen.

Today is also the day declared by the Congregation for Priests to be the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.  We should all pray for the priests in our lives, the priests recently ordained, and priests throughout the world.

Here is the prayer recommended by the Congregation -

Prayer for Priests

Lord Jesus, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament,
and living perpetually among us through Your Priests,
grant that the words of Your Priests may be only Your words,
that their gestures be only Your gestures,
and that their lives be a true reflection of Your life.

Grant that they may be men who speak to God on behalf of His people,
and speak to His people of God.
Grant that they be courageous in service,
serving the Church as she asks to be served.

Grant that they may be men who witness to eternity in our time,
travelling on the paths of history in Your steps,
and doing good for all.

Grant that they may be faithful to their commitments,
zealous in their vocation and mission,
clear mirrors of their own identity,
and living the joy of the gift they have received.

We pray that Your Holy Mother, Mary,
present throughout Your life,
may be ever present in the life of Your Priests. Amen

Have a great and prayerful day!

Playing Like Kids Again

theophilus May 29th, 2008

I’m talking baseball today and it’s all because of Jay Bruce, the newest member of the Cincinnati Reds.

He is the #1 prospect in baseball, the next can’t miss kid.  And the Reds finally called him up on Monday. 

Tuesday night, he was on base all five times he batted; last night, he reached base another three times.  He didn’t make an out until his 7th at-bat.  Start carving his plaque for Cooperstown.

But what’s more exciting about him is that he is playing like a kid, full of enthusiasm and pure joy.  The way we used to play on summer afternoons at the neighborhood field.  He hustles, smiles, and plays the game like our baseball heroes of old.

And his joy is already spreading to the rest of the team.  The Reds have experienced nothing but misery and losing in this millennium.  It’s been trying to all of us fans who came of age when the Reds in the postseason was considered a birthright.

So, it’s great to see a joy in this team the past two days.  The team is suffering through another losing stretch but the last two nights have been electrifying.  In one inning alone last night, Joey Votto (another great rookie) dove to his right to snag a hit away, then Adam Dunn made a sliding catch on a sinking line drive, and then Edwin Encarnacion channeled Brooks Robinson in getting a ball hit behind the bag at third and throwing the guy out from his knees.  Plays that weren’t happening last week.

They are having fun playing; and we are having fun watching them.

So, in watching Jay Bruce and the rest of the Reds the past two nights, a question comes to mind – why can’t we all have this joy and enthusiasm about our own lives?  Why can’t all of us face each day the way we did on Summer afternoons playing ball for hours on end?  No matter what we do, why are too many of us not able to find joy in our career, family, life?

Christ wants us to find joy in our lives.  He wants us to live every day with the peace that comes from being one of God’s chosen people.  We can be facing the most difficult of trials, but he still wants us to put a smile on our face and peace in our hearts because we walk with him, and that should be good enough for us.

I’m actually looking forward to watching the Reds throughout this summer.  I know Bruce’s average is going to settle in around .275, he is only 21-years old.  I know the Reds will probably play .500 ball the rest of the way.  But, I can live with that, because I enjoy watching athletes having fun.  And, the current crop of young players on the Reds gives hope to us because they just seem to have fun playing the game.

And as I’m watching them, I’ll be reminded to find peace and joy in my own life.  After all, peace and joy are emotions that are entirely up to us, no matter our current circumstances in life. 

To Serve – Not to Be Served

theophilus May 28th, 2008

Today’s gospel has one of the most meaningful passages for me in it.

In Mark 10, Jesus is instructing the apostles after James and John started asking him about sitting at his left and right when he came into his kingdom.  While rather bold and brazen of the two of them, Jesus uses the moment to teach the apostles about service.

“[W]hoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.  For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

So what is this service we are supposed to give?  Sometimes it’s difficult to know.  Who are we supposed to serve?  When are we supposed to serve?  Where are we supposed to serve?  How are we supposed to serve?  All good questions for those who care about serving others and serving Christ.

I ran across a passage from St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians that might help -

“No man should seek his own interest but rather that of his neighbor.  The fact is that whether you eat or drink – whatever you do – you should do all for the glory of God.”

And maybe that passage sums it up – we should always place our neighbor’s interest in front of our own, whether that “neighbor” is our wife, kids, fellow parishoners, those throughout the community, those in a different part of the world.  We should always place others before ourselves.  And then we will be serving Christ and doing things “all for the glory of God.”

Be a servant today, starting with those whom you love and with whom you work.  Christ will take it from there.

“Gird Up Your Loins”

theophilus May 27th, 2008

One of the great things about the epistles is that St. Paul, St. Peter and St. James give us so many simple rules for living.  Instruction that makes our lives easier – if we heed it. 

Today’s first reading from St. Peter (1 Peter 1) carries such an instruction -

[G]ird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.

It doesn’t seem that hard.  Sharpening our minds – living soberly – setting our hopes only on Christ – being obedient – not being seduced by our desires – living a holy life in EVERY aspect of our conduct.

I would imagine that most of our problems and anxieties could be avoided altogether if we followed St. Peter’s instruction and just refused to give in to those desires that are against what Christ wants for us.  We need to realize that, while there are things in all of our lives that we simply don’t want Christ to know about, we are foolish if we think he doesn’t know everything about us.

This weekend was unofficially the beginning of Summer.  Let us live every day this season with an eye towards what Christ wants for us.  In this fun-filled time, let us remember that Christ watches us in all things and is trying to guide us toward him.  Let’s not give in to those desires and impulses that lead us away from him.

Let’s make this season a Christ-filled season.

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Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, bishop (England, d. 604) - born in Rome; Benedictine monk; sent by Pope Gregory I to Britain to evangelize the pagans of England; converted and baptized King Ethelbert with many of his subjects following his lead; became first Archbishop of Canterbury; known as the “Apostle of England.”

Memorial Day

theophilus May 26th, 2008

There are men and women who have walked among us, and sacrficed everything they have and everything they are to keep us and others throughout the world free.  They have gone to liberate, save and comfort – to make the world a better place.  And they have paid with their lives for what we too often take for granted.

In the Catholic Church, we have our martyrs – those who gave their temporal lives in order to grow Christ’s kingdom here on earth.  The same can be said of our men and women who we commemorate today – they gave their temporal lives in order to further the causes of liberty and freedom throughout the world.  So that all may live as God intends for them to live.

Every day, but especially today, we should fly our flags – salute our men and women in uniform – remember our dead – believe in what they fought for – ensure they did not die in vain – thank God that he made men and women with the guts to put it all on the line for us.  Every day, but especially today, let us believe in true American heroes once again.

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Memorial of St. Philip Neri, priest (Italy, 1515-1595) – known for his charisma and sense of humor; called the “Apostle of Rome”; founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a group of secular priests working to inspire the faithful; great teacher and confessor; canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622.

Corpus Christi Sunday

theophilus May 25th, 2008

How about if we truly think about the following when we go to communion today on this the Solemnity of Corpus Christ (the Body and Blood of Christ) -

We are partaking of THE body and blood of Christ – it is the Real Presence of our Lord.

There is one piece (or so) of bread and one glass (or so) of wine which is turned into the body and blood of Christ and then shared with us all.

No matter where we go in the world, we can go to any Mass on any day at any time and share in the Corpus Christi.  Christ is the same in Paris, Kentucky and Paris, France.

The Real Presence binds us to all of those who have come before and all of those who will come after.

It doesn’t get any more intimate than joining ourselves with the Son of God, inviting him wholly into our being – both physically and spiritually.

The Real Presence satisfies every hunger and satiates every thirst - if we accept this gift, this blessing, from Christ with all of our being.

The Real Presence can bring us immense peace and healing – if we offer our cares to him as we approach the altar.

There are saints who have wished for nothing more than receiving the Real Presence and have subsisted on nothing but the Real Presence.

We cannot obtain this intimacy in any other way – no other church, no other faith, no other belief.  Without the Real Presence, we will always be found searching and wanting for something more.

We cannot possibly fully appreciate the gift we are given each and every time we go to Mass if we do not go to Mass in the first place.  Even if we go to Mass, we miss out if we nonchalantly go up to receive communion; or if we leave as soon as we receive this gift and have time to contemplate this wondrous mystery. 

With each and every Mass throughout the world and throughout the ages, God shows us how incredible, how loving, how powerful he is – so we may have faith in Him, so we may have hope in our lives, and so we may come together as one people.

Incredible stuff this Real Presence – let us never, ever, take the Corpus Christi for granted.  The Eucharist should be the focus of who we are as disciples of Christ – the focus of our lives. 

Our Lady of Sheshan

theophilus May 24th, 2008

Today is the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China – enough said.  Imagine – 1.3 billion souls just waiting for the Holy Spirit.

Here’s the Holy Father’s Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan -

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,
venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title “Help of Christians”,
the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.
We come before you today to implore your protection.
Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them
along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be
a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.

When you obediently said “yes” in the house of Nazareth,
you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb
and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.
You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,
allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,
until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary,
standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,
the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith
and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.
Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed
with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.
Grant that your children may discern at all times,
even those that are darkest, the signs of God’s loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

St. Louis & Senator Kennedy

theophilus May 23rd, 2008

Two totally unrelated thoughts for today . . . 

Archbishop Burke just ordained nine new priests to his See in St. Louis.  That’s the total for the Archdiocese in the past three years combined.  They have so many guys interested in the priesthood that they are actually talking about expanding the seminary.

To say that this news is encouraging is an understatement.  Hopefully, the vocations spirit spreads to all dioceses and they look to St. Louis as the model on how to fill their seminaries and take the vacancy sign off of some of our rectories.

And for that totally unrelated thought - I’m sure that Senator Kennedy is heartened that so many people throughout Catholicdom are praying for him.  But, how does he feel that so many appear to be praying almost as much for his conversion and return to the teachings of the Church as they are for his health? 

I guess I’m praying that the Senator sees his illness as an opportunity to bring others to Christ and strengthen other people’s faith in the same way that he rallied his party to his cause.  Christ has given him yet another chance to inspire, but this time it is an opportunity to inspire people’s spirituality, instead of their politics. 

No one will blame him if he takes this final journey out of the public eye, but he would leave one heck of a spiritual legacy if he takes advantage of this grace to embolden our faith.

St. Rita of Cascia & Baseball – My New Favorite Saint

theophilus May 22nd, 2008

I think I might have a new favorite saint.  St. Rita of Cascia is new to the U.S. liturgical calendar even though she lived in the 15th Century and was canonized in 1900.  Why the Church waited so long to canonize her and then get her on our calendar is beyond me because I fell in love with her story as soon as I read it.

She wanted to become a nun but her parents wanted her to marry.  She obeyed her parents and was rewarded by being married to a jerk.  With him, she had two boys – both of whom tried her patience.  After 18 years of marriage, her husband had started to come around when he was killed by a political rival.  She grew justifiably concerned that her sons were going to try and exact revenge.  She tried to persuade them to forgive and forget but ultimately had to give them over to God, as she prayed that God would stop their plans.  Both sons died of natural causes within a year of their father’s murder.  Talk about God needing to go to extreme measures.

St. Rita decided to enter a convent but the nuns wouldn’t accept her because of the political turmoil involving her family.  Realizing this obstacle, she reconciled the warring families, which in turn led to her being admitted to the convent.  There is a story that the nuns really couldn’t refuse her when they found her one morning inside the locked convent with no visible signs of entry.  It was said that she was transported into the convent walls by St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentino, her patron saints.  It makes me think that I really need to figure out who my patron saints are and start praying to them.

One night while she was praying, she received a thorn above her forehead from Christ’s crown of thorns.  The wound would remain for the rest of her life and would end up smelling so badly that she was separated from the other nuns.  St. Rita was a model nun.  She died in 1457, her body incorrupt, her wound smelling of roses.

There is much to admire about St. Rita as she led just a great and holy life.  Oh, and for some reason, she is the unofficial patron saint of baseball.  As she is also a patron saint of lost and impossible causes, I now consider her to be the patron saint of my beloved Cincinnati Reds.

As I read about her rather unusual wound, I wonder what she thought about the thorn in her forehead.  It had to hurt, it certainly smelled.  The other nuns probably looked at her kinda sideways.  So, did she consider it a blessing or a curse?

I ask the question because I have facial birth defects – it’s clear that something is screwed up with my face.  I’ve often wondered whether my face is a blessing or a curse.  I often asked myself what would I do if Christ would appear to me and tell me that he would heal me – that all I would need to do is ask.  Would I want to be healed?

I have trouble answering this question because my face and my birth defects have become an ingrained part of my personailty, an integral part of who I am.  My face has taught me humility, patience, and forgivness.  You haven’t lived until you’ve had to respond to a little boy telling you that you have a “funny looking” face and you realize the only appropriate response is a laugh and a “yes, I do.”

Did St. Rita want to be cured of the thorn?  Afterall, it was a special sign from God - a different twist on the stigmata.  Did it become a part of who she was, so to heal her would be to take away something integral to her?

I’m glad to have gotten to learn about this incredible saint.  She was a wonderful woman who has a great deal to teach us today.  And as the Reds are opening a four-game series with the Padres tonight in San Diego, I think it only appropriate for me to say a little novena on their behalf – that is assuming she isn’t already a Padres fan.

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