Fr. Mark Burger is the pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in West Chester, Ohio.  He is also a renowned speaker and retreat leader.  He appears annually at the Cincinnati Men’s Conference and always leaves us pondering whether we are truly listening to the voice of God that is always in our heads, even if we have hit the cerebral mute button.

Fr. Mark decided to publish a book, “Hearing God’s Voice.”  We received advance notice of the book at this past Men’s Conference in March so I was looking forward to its release.  He decided to self-publish it, which means some unfortunate publishing house missed out on the chance to sell people something that is going to actually enrich their souls and lead them closer to our heavenly Father.

The book is laid out as a daily meditation.  Each day of the year carries a different sermon.  Some are of the slap-you-across-the-face variety, while others reveal themselves to you slowly and profoundly as you mull the message over during the course of a day.

The important part of Fr. Mark’s insights is that he always tells a story.  It’s not lecturing or postering-it’s just spinning a tale and then hitting home the point.  It’s also ecumenical in scope.  For me, it’s a great way to spend the five minutes before I walk out the door in the morning.  I find myself reflecting on the story during my ride into work.

A good example is today’s reflection for November 18th.  Fr. Mark tells the story of a friend who gave him a prayer to bring someone peace in troubled times.  After relaying the prayer, Fr. Mark concludes by sharing with us that -

“Jesus promised to give us a gift that no one else can, the gift of peace. His peace comes when no other sentiment, feeling or emotion will satisfy. Only His peace has the power to keep our eyes focused on heaven.”

We do live in unsatisfying times that are calling out for the best in all of us.  Fr. Mark’s book may be one tool that God is putting into your hands to help you answer this call.

You can order the book through this link – Hearing God’s Voice.  You just need to fork over $13.95 (and I’m assuming S&H and applicable taxes-you also have to register with lulu.com).

Advent is around the corner.  These meditations may be just what you need to start off the new liturgical year right.

Required Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from a friend who worked on the book with Fr. Mark.  I provided free and rather poor guidance to Fr. Mark on how to set up a blog to publish his daily meditations.  I have not received and will not receive anything of value in connection with this book.  I just think it’s a cool worship tool worthy of your time and money.

When President Reagan spoke at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, history remembers his call of “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”  Unfortunately, other parts of his speech are left without remark.  And, it’s a shame because he gave such an exhilarating embrace of freedom – an embrace that we need in this day and age.

President Reagan was unapologetic about freedom -

“[T]here stands before the entire world one great and inescapable conclusion: Freedom leads to prosperity. Freedom replaces the ancient hatreds among the nations with comity and peace. Freedom is the victor.”

How is truth and prosperity tied to freedom? -

“[T]ruth can flourish only when the journalist is given freedom of speech, so prosperity can come about only when the farmer and businessman enjoy economic freedom.”

Do you want peace – real and lasting peace? -

“[W]e believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.”

President Reagan then hit his stride -

“[W]e must remember a crucial fact: East and West do not mistrust each other because we are armed; we are armed because we mistrust each other. And our differences are not about weapons but about liberty. When President Kennedy spoke at the City Hall those twenty-four years ago, freedom was encircled, Berlin was under siege. And today, despite all the pressures upon this city, Berlin stands secure in its liberty. And freedom itself is transforming the globe.”

And then came the call for self-reflection for the people of Berlin – the call for self-reflection for us all -

“[W]hat keeps you here? Certainly, there’s a great deal to be said for your fortitude, for your defiant courage. But I believe there’s something deeper, something that involves Berlin’s whole look and feel and way of life – not mere sentiment. No one could live long in Berlin without being completely disabused of illusions. Something instead, that has seen the difficulties of life in Berlin but chose to accept them, that continues to build this good and proud city in contrast to a surrounding totalitarian presence that refuses to release human energies or aspirations. Something that speaks with a powerful voice of affirmation, that says yes to this city, yes to the future, yes to freedom. In a word, I would submit that what keeps you in Berlin is love – love both profound and abiding.

President Reagan then gave the unassailable difference between liberty and oppression -

“Perhaps this gets to the root of the matter, to the most fundamental distinction of all between East and West. The totalitarian world produces backwardness because it does such violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy, to worship. The totalitarian world finds even symbols of love and our worship an affront.”

And then President Reagan finished with a story that brings us back to the source of our freedom and liberty – back to God.

He told how the East Germans built a huge television tower on Alexander Platz as a grandiose secular monument. Unfortunately for the authorities, the top of the tower turned into a Cross whenever the sun shined. President Reagan used this symbol to emphatically exclaim that “this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.”

God gives us freedom as his children; Christ gives us freedom through his Cross.  Let us never ever forget that this freedom is given to us as a divine gift, as a birthright. It is up to us to decide how we will use it and whether we will strengthen it or squander it.

And it’s up to us to pray for those of our brothers and sisters that live under political oppression – that someday their walls will fall as well.

I believe God has a sense of humor, or he just finds innovative ways to get our attention. One way was through the Opening Prayer for this Sunday’s Mass.

“God of power and mercy, protect us from all harm. Give us freedom of spirit and health in mind and body to do your work on earth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

“Freedom of spirit!”  Freedom to do God’s work on earth. On this anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, let’s renew our commitment to freedom, liberty and peace. Let us gratefully acknowledge and embrace this most divine and precious of gifts, and cast off the illusions that will separate us from this freedom and separate us from God’s plan for us.

Every Sunday, I look to the liturgical week ahead, specifically the readings and saints.  In doing so this past year, I’ve noticed a number of popular saints that have had their feast day preempted by Sunday this year.

While these saints, of course, don’t care, they are there for us, not them.  The church wants us to remember their lives and works done.  They lived such exemplary and holy lives, and did so perfectly the will of God, that they are set apart for us to look to and emulate.

They built Christ’s Kingdom while they were here on earth.  And we can do the same.  We are all called to be saints; and we still can be one, no matter how badly we may think we have screwed up our lives.

So, look at this list.  Some are very well-known, others not so.  Pick one you know very little about and do a search on them.  Learn something.  Great heroes of the Church.  Some just like you and me.

January – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

February – St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita; Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

March – St. John of God

April – St. Vincent Ferrer

May – Sts. Philip & James; Feast of the Visitation

June – St. Aloysius Gonzaga; St. Irenaeus

July – St. Anthony Zaccaria; Sts. Joachim & Anne

August – St. Eusebius of Vercelli; St. Peter Julian Eymard; St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein); St. Stephen of Hungary; St. Rose of Lima

September – St. John Chrysostom; Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang & Companions; St. Vincent de Paul

October – St. Francis of Assisi; St. Luke

November – St. Albert the Great; St. Cecilia

December – St. Nicholas; St. Lucy; St. John

And, again, remember on this All Saints Day – we are all called to be saints, every single one of us.  We can start this hour by praying, this day by showing love for others, this week by serving others, this month by renouncing whatever is holding us back from truly living life and following Christ.

Read the lives of the saints, get to know them, personalize them, allow them to lead you to Christ, allow them to lead you to a saintly life.

For this campaign, the count stands at 460.  They also just passed a milestone of 2,000 since these vigils began.

These babies represent the miracle of divine intervention brought about by the prayers of the courageous and faithful opening up the hearts of pregnant mothers with a “choice” to make.

But in all truthfulness, what is this choice?

I was born to a single mother.  It was pre-Roe v. Wade, but I know full well that my mother had a “choice” to make.  Thankfully for me and my family, she listened to God and placed herself and me in the hands of Christ and his Blessed Mother.

I was thinking about this “choice” the other day when I read the Daily Devotional that the 40 Days campaign puts out every day during the campaign.  This particular devotion was written by Fr. Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life and National Pro-Life Religious Council.  His reflection on this day centered around the nature of this “choice”-

Norma McCorvey (the former Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) used to work at an abortion mill named “A Choice for Women.” She now realizes what a cruel irony that title was. She saw first hand, just as pregnancy resource center counselors see, that women don’t get abortions because of freedom of choice, but rather because they feel they have no freedom and no choice. They feel trapped, abandoned, desperate and afraid, and have been led to believe that abortion is their only option.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green has written, no want wants an abortion like she wants a Porsche or an ice cream; rather, she wants it like an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That doesn’t mean that the Spirit allows us to do whatever we want or to decide for ourselves what’s right and wrong.

Rather, it means that the Spirit gives us the freedom to do what is right, the power to choose what is good, when we see it before us and yet feel pulled in the opposite direction. Liberty means that we no longer have to feel doomed to do what we know is wrong.

We are the people of the Spirit of the Lord, and when we take action on behalf of life, especially by being present at abortion mills, we are acting on behalf of true freedom, and imparting to those who are in bondage the power to do what is right.

As a kid, I always wondered why God allowed evil to exist.  It’s only really recently that I’ve realized that it’s not necessarily that God permits evil to exist, but that he so loves man that he gives us our freedom.  It’s this freedom that either leads us to embrace the goodness and love of our Father and his Son and his Spirit, or leads us to turn our back on God and allow evil to occur.  It’s not God that permits evil to occur; it’s man.  We have a choice to make; it’s up to us to make the right one.

For the past 40 days, the choice for many throughout the nation has been to exercise their freedom to pray outside the abortion mills.  At times, they were even able to get information in the hands of the mothers entering these abortion mills so that these women would know exactly what choice they were making.  It’s the fact that this information isn’t given to the mother by right that makes the “choice” so ironic.  What kind of choice is it if mothers can’t even see an ultrasound of their baby before they give a nod to the doctor to proceed?  Who truly loves these women and who is trying to hide the truth?

This campaign is the first one that I followed and I wish I could have done more.  The problem is that I’m too chicken to go down there alone.  But I have been to two vigils and I’ve prayed the devotionals everyday.  I’ve been with them in spirit.

But I know that’s not enough.  The Holy Spirit is kicking into gear.  It’s up to all of us who believe in the sanctity of all life and the dignity of all men to step forward to ensure mothers make the right “choice” – just like my mother did oh so long ago.  We have to get off of the sidelines and do something.  Christ is calling us to follow him.  Our Blessed Mother is imploring us to get moving.

BTW, the next campaign starts on Ash Wednesday.  Details to come.

We don’t talk about our faith in social settings; we do not wear our faith upon our sleeves; we tend to hide our belief in Christ.  Even during Sunday Mass, we can be a quiet bunch when it comes to singing and expressions of prayer. And no one better catch us praying outside of church or having any identifiable object upon us.

I was thinking about this difference today when reading a passage written by St. Anthony Claret, whose feast day is today.  He lived in the 19th Century, born in Spain, bishop of Cuba, very effective anti-slavery voice, recalled to Spain where he did important work for the Church in a tumultuous era. He was known for his zealous love of Christ and his fellow man. Some appreciated this zeal, others less so.

In this passage from the Office of Readings (Liturgy of the Hours), he preaches about Christian zeal-

“The love of Christ arouses us, urges us to run, and to fly, lifted on the wings of holy zeal. The man who truly loves God also loves his neighbor. The truly zealous man is also one who loves, but he stands on a higher place of love so that the more he is inflamed by love, the more urgently zeal drives him on. . . . The zealous man desires and achieves all great things and he labors strenuously so that God may always be better known, loved and served in this world and in the life to come, for this holy love is without end.”

Zeal get us “to fly” and to desire and achieve “all great things.”  Zeal gets us to a “higher place of love”  But its zeal for God that raises us to these heights.

Zeal also impacts our relations with others-

“Because he is concerned also for his neighbor, the man of zeal works to fulfill his desire that all men be content on this earth and happy and blessed in this heavenly homeland, that all may be saved, and that no one may perish for ever, or offend God, or remain even for a moment in sin. Such are the concerns we observe in the holy apostles and in all who are driven by the apostolic spirit.”

Zeal gets us to think about each other not just in our day-to-day relationships but also in a divine and eternal sense. We must love each other and this love must be expressed and be a channel of God’s grace.

My reading today concluded with this passage-

“The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame, he desires and works with all his strength to inflame all men with the fire of God’s love. Nothing deters him: he rejoices in poverty; he labors strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labors, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.”

In a sense, we are responsible for each other.  We are held accountable for each other.  We are strongly cautioned against going around talking about God without reason or purpose, or praying and fasting aloud like the hypocrites, or judging others, or making others feel uncomfortable in our presence.  Rather we should show our zeal by our actions, in all aspects of our lives. Instead of pushing people away from Christ or ignoring him, we are called to bring others to him.

Do you love?  Do you show that love in the way you act and treat others? Do you go out of your way to help those in any type of need? Do you listen? Do you show compassion and patience?  Do you forgive?  Do you seek to understand? Do you truly and meaningfully talk to others to help them reach answers to their own questions? Are you honest and trustworthy regardless of the situation? Do you do the right things, always? Do you know, hold fast to, and defend the basic truths of our faith?  Do you prevent others from sinning and provide a good example to keep others from sinning? And do you either introduce them or remind them of God’s love for them in the process?

Do others see a fire within you for Christ?  A fire that is not burning indiscriminately and out-of-control, but a fire that is contained and intense at the same time.

Do others know who you belong to? Do they see that confident peace and joy within you that can only come from Christ? Are you a force for good in this world?

Today’s Mass begins with this opening prayer -

“Father, you endowed Anthony Claret with the strength of love and patience to preach the Gospel to many nations. By the help of his prayers may we work generously for your kingdom and gain our brothers and sisters for Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

This prayer sums up our own mission.  With strength, love and patience, to work generously for God’s kingdom and to bring our neighbors to Christ.  And also to preach the Gospel; maybe not by our words, but most definitely by our actions.  And by our actions and whatever words Christ puts into our mouths, showing the zeal that should be natural to us as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.

The great thing about getting to Mass before it began was that I actually got to settle myself down and pray.  And as I prayed, I observed my fellow parishioners coming into the worship space.  And I mused why the place, while crowded, wasn’t packed to the rafters.  After all, we have 3,000 families and 10,000 parishioners, and “only” four Masses.

And I recalled a conversation I recently had with someone who was about to go on vacation.  His wife was spending some time trying to figure out what Mass they would go to while they were out-of-town.  He couldn’t understand why she was doing so; after all, aren’t we excused from the “obligation” of going to Mass when we are on vacation.

I looked at him and said, “you know, some don’t consider Mass to be an obligation.”

And that’s the way I feel – now.  I used to feel that it was an obligation, one of which I could dismiss without good reason.  I didn’t have a clue about the Mass; I missed the whole point; I didn’t fully get what was going on.

Not anymore.

I go to Mass now with the fervent expectation that Christ is going to rock my world.  I know that when I leave, I am going to be healed, strengthened, emboldened, and – at peace.  I know that, at least for that moment, I am united with him and he with me.  He has a hold of me and he will not let go of me – unless I shrug him off and decide to go with my own plan.  I feel the Holy Spirit within me.  I know that the Blessed Mother and the communion of saints (living and dead) have my back.  I know that I have witnessed beauty and grace; I have seen first-hand the love of God.

How could I have been so blind for so long to what was occurring right before my eyes everytime I went to Mass?

How could I have permitted myself to be apathetic, distracted, even angry, while participating in this gift from God himself?

The celebration of the Eucharist is supposed to be the center of our lives.  Sunday Mass is the point in which all we are, all we have done, and all we are expected to be come together.

And I’ve also realized The Church is not the building in which we worship.  The Church is the body of the faithful – one, holy, catholic and apostolic.  As such, our faith and Christ’s gift to us cannot be confined to a physical structure.  After Mass, we must take Christ “out there” to the world.  We must show the face of Christ to all through our thoughts, words,  and actions.

We all must be apostles and win souls for Christ.

And I’m not necessarily talking about talking to people about Christ.  Yes, if approached about our faith, we need to be prepared with an accurate answer.  If we see someone in trouble, we can ask them to pray.  Rather, what I’m talking about is a more subtle approach.

Our parish has a program where parishioners offer to pray for the youth going through confirmation.  I am praying for ten of these kids.  There is a suggested prayer that has a great series of phrases in it -

Help them to live their lives so that others know they are yours.
Help them to spread their faith.
Help them to use words that bless.
Help them to have hands that heal.

Others know who we are by the way we live our lives.  Do you live your life so that others know you are Christ’s?  Do they look at you and see to whom you belong?  Do they look at you and say “I want some of what he is having”?

Participate in Mass with reverence and awe.  Allow Christ to summon you, blow your mind, consume your heart and awaken your soul.  It doesn’t matter whether you are angry, apathetic, disillusioned, or just don’t get it.  Pray to Holy Mary and your Guardian Angel to allow you to see the mystery and the truth unfolding before you each and every Mass.

May the churches be full.  And may we all truly worship God as one Church, with Christ as our head, and the Eucharist as our transforming and redeeming bond.

What is generally lost in this debate is a discussion as to why the Church teaches what it teaches on abortion.  Why does the Church stand so strongly on the side of the unborn?  Why must anti-right-to-life Catholics understand that their action or inaction not only contravenes a major tenet of our faith but subverts the foundation of the dignity of man?

I rarely read the Catechism – should read it more, but I don’t.  The other day was the exception.  I happened to pick it up and came across the section on abortion.  I wish I would have read this stuff earlier because the Catechism makes the abortion decision pretty cut and dry.

In paragraph 2270, we hear that-

Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.

To support this proposition, the Catechism quotes from Jeremiah 1:5-

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.

And from Psalm 139:15-

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.

There is no wiggle room here for any argument that suggests that the unborn child at any stage is anything less than a human being worthy of protection.  God knew us before he formed us; he started his relationship with us before he even made us as man; we were his children from the get-go.

How about those arguments that the Church has only recently came around to a pro-life position?  Paragraph 2271 answers this question-

Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.

Take a look at this passage from the Didache, one of the earliest writings of the Church, which the Catechism quotes-

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.

As for the present, the Church can’t get any stronger than this statement from Guadium et spes-

God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

The Church has always officially been against abortion and cannot be much clearer or stronger in its views today – did you see the word “abominable” – sounds real weak-kneed to me.

How serious is abortion?  Is it just another social issue to consider?  Look at paragraph 2272-

Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,” “by the very commission of the offense,” (Codex Iuris Canonici) and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.

Another one of those wishy-washy words – “excommunication.”

But paragraph 2272 doesn’t stop with the punishment-

The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

This teaching is all about mercy and redemption for those involved in abortion; that no matter the offense, Christ will still love and forgive us.  Like every other offense against God and man, we can seek and find salvation.  And by extension, every one of us is called to pray for, love and forgive each person involved with abortion.

Paragraph 2272 also talks about the harm done to the parents and society.  Not only does the unborn child suffer, but so do the mother, the father and society as a whole.  Abortion impacts all of us.

Paragraph 2273 goes further and talks about the role of abortion in society and how life is an inalienable right, even for the unborn.  And for those Catholic politicians out there that try to compartmentalize their faith on this issue, the Church gives some instruction-

The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation. (emphasis not added).

The Church provides some passages from Donum Vitae, from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, to further illustrate this point-

The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.

The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined….As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights.

In other words, the unborn child deserves the protection of the laws, period.

How about the argument that disabled children should be diagnosed in the womb and aborted for their own sake?

Let’s turn to paragraph 2274-

Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Again, we have guidance from Donum vitae-

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, “if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual…. It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”

What a great line – “a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”

Abortion is unacceptable in a civilized society.  In the Catechism, the Church strongly and emphatically lays out the reasons why.  The unborn child is a human being in need of the protection of society.  No legal, political, mental, emotional, logical, or theoretical gymnastics can subvert this fact or the fact the unborn child is as worthy as we are to be treated with simple human dignity.

I need to read more of the Catechism.  I might actually learn something.

As such, I would like to issue the 20 Decade Challenge.

Pray all 20 decades of the Holy Rosary today – the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.  Pray one set in the morning, one at lunch, one at the end of the workday and one before bed (or anyway you can piece together about an hour of your day).

Offer each decade for a specific intention.  Some intentions may include: the Holy Father and his intentions – peace in the world – the Church, our priests and deacons, our bishops, vocations, our fellow parishioners – our spouses, children, godchildren, young people in our lives, parents and family members, coworkers, teachers – the unborn, the end to abortion – our nation, our troops, our political leaders – the unemployed and those suffering economically, those suffering from personal and physical distress – those of other faiths, those who have fallen away from the Church – those who have died and those who mourn their loss, those who have died in natural disasters or accidents – the victims of violence, the victims of our culture – repentance for our sins, conversion of sinners and the souls in purgatory – or whatever or whomever else for which we wish to pray.

There is no shortage of things needing our prayers and the Holy Rosary is prayer on steriods.  It’s a direct call to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her beloved Son.  The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon against all that ails our world, especially those things caused by man that erode human dignity.

Take the 20 Decade Challenge.  Let our Holy Mother hear a multitude of voices today.

October’s General Intention is – that Sundays may be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the Risen Lord in the table of the Eucharist.

I was thinking about this intention on the way to Mass this Sunday.  We pass a Protestant church on the way to St. Max.  This Sunday, I started to think aloud and said rather poignantly while pointing to the full parking lot – “hey guys, the real thing is down the street . . . come on and join us.”

My wife then looked at me with bewilderment, hushed me, and then rebuked me by reminding me that my little girl’s best friend attends that church and I shouldn’t be saying such things.  But then she got to the crux of the matter and said “what, do you think they’re going to go to hell because they’re not Catholic?”

“Whoa there honey – I said no such thing.”

I happen to believe that our salvation does not depend upon us being Catholic.  God is going to extend his mercy to us through his Son to more than those who have accepted his call to join in the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

But, it is only in that one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church that we can receive Him, come into communion with Him, experience the Real Presence of Him.  Even the good, holy Christians that attend the Church we passed last Sunday would agree that they do not acknowledge the Real Presence.  It’s only Catholics that accept that Christ, through the Holy Eucharist, is truly present with us and invites us to be one with him, to be one with each other through Him.

And that is what I do not get about those of the Protestant Christian faiths.  Why deny yourself this divine gift?  Why reject Christ himself?  There is a strength, a saving grace, a spiritual high that I get with communion. Christ gives us the gift of Him through Holy Communion; and we either accept it as part of our birthright and who we are, or we reject it.

In the Anima Christi, we extol the virtues of receiving communion -

Soul of Christ, sanctify me

Body of Christ, save me

Blood of Christ, inebriate me

Water from the side of Christ, wash me

Passion of Christ, strengthen me

O good Jesus, hear me

Within Thy wounds hide me

Separated from Thee let me never be

From the malicious enemy defend me

In the hour of my death call me

And bid me come unto Thee

That I may praise Thee with Thy saints

and with Thy angels

Forever and ever

Amen

Sanctification, salvation, inebriation, cleansing, strengthening, listening, protection, union, defending – all from the Real Presence, all from Holy Communion.

There is a prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas that goes something like -

“O Sacred Banquet, where the body of Christ is received, the memory of his passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace, and the pledge of future glory is given to us.”

Again, why deny yourself this gift, dining at this sacred banquet.

Yet, other Christian faiths deny themselves this grace.  And I guess that is what the Holy Father is pointing out with his general intention this month. 

That Sundays may be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the Risen Lord in the table of the Eucharist.

Let us pray for our fellow Christians this month.  We shouldn’t jump to “what, do you think they’re going to go to hell because they’re not Catholic?”  Instead, we should be grateful that they share our belief in the Risen Lord, while also praying that they may gather with us at the table of the Eucharist to truly celebrate Christ our Lord.

And we can pray that our fellow Catholics embrace this special grace that is there for the taking if only they will accept it.

The prayer card doesn’t have any images.  On the front is the “St. Pio Prayer” and on the back are the “Padre Pio Counsels.”   Padre Pio was a great man of prayer who was known for spending hours in the confessional and in his ability to intercede in prayer and get other people’s prayers answered.  He lived in the 20th Century (dying in 1968) so he is one of our modern saints; he lived in our times.  If you do not know about his life, just google him and start reading.

Today is the memorial of St. Pio.  In this day and age of uncertainty, it is fitting to call upon him and ask for his intercession in prayer and to adhere to his counsels.

Padre Pio Counsels

“Pray, hope and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart.”

“Walk cheerfully and with a sincere and open heart as much as you can, and when you cannot always maintain this holy joy, at least do not lose your trust in God.”

“Do not tire yourself over things that cause anxiety and worry. Only one thing is necessary: to lift up your spirit and love God.”

“Be cheerful. Jesus will take care of everything. Let us trust in Jesus and our heavenly Mother, and everything will work out well.”

St. Pio Prayer

Gracious God, You blessed Padre Pio with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, making him an inspiring witness to the saving love of Jesus in our world, and a powerful reminder to us of Your infinite mercy and goodness.

Through the heavenly intercession of St. Pio, I ask for the grace of  . . . (here state your petition).

Help me, O Lord, to imitate Padre Pio’s devout faith, prayerful holiness, patient forgiveness and loving compassion towards others.  Amen.

Padre Pio, pray for us!