ACTION ALERT!

Brothers & Sisters,

As much as we'd like to enjoy the coming Triduum and following Easter season without the distraction of evil, we live in a fallen world which continues to suffer the machinations of fallen minds urged on by evil itself.  And so, I urge you to read the linked statement by the bishops of Wisconsin regarding the so-called "Equality Act".  This legislation, which has passed the House of Representatives and is now before the Senate, will gravely effect our ability as Christians to give witness to the Gospel - both in our daily / professional lives, as well as in our communal / political life.  I ask that you read this statement carefully, bring it to prayer, AND THEN ACT!

If this legislation passes, it will not be the end of the world, but it will be another nail in the coffin of the world as we know it.

Holy Week

Here we are at the start of Holy Week with today’s celebration of Palm Sunday – the holiest week of the entire Church year.  I hope and pray that everyone will give to themselves and to their families the gift of observing this week to the fullest extent possible.  I know there is work to do and we aren’t going to entirely shut down the sports schedule; but there are many things we could set aside in favor of the observance of our Lord’s Paschal Mystery, that is, His passion, death, and resurrection.

Setting aside this time, giving ourselves the quiet and peace necessary to enter fully into this time is critical, because we aren’t simply invited to observe or even celebrate the events of this week, we are called by our Baptism to enter into these mysteries; indeed, that is what our baptism is all about, after all.

What to do with this time?  Re-reading the Gospel narratives of our Lord’s Passion is a terrific start.  In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite the entire passion is read from each of the three Synoptic Gospels during the first part of the week: Matthew on Palm Sunday, Mark on Tuesday, and Luke on Wednesday: and we all hear the Passion according to St. John on Good Friday.  On Holy Thursday it would be good to read the narrative of the Last Supper, all four Gospels have one with differences which are particular to the memory (or information available in the case of St. Luke) and narrative goals of each writer.

Another option on these days would be a greater attention to our devotional life.  The Stations of the Cross and the Rosary are wonderful devotions in themselves which take on more meaning and power in the context of these Holy Week celebrations.  Interestingly, the Vatican website still contains the texts of the Stations of the Cross celebrated by Popes going back to the reign of Pope St. John Paul the Great.  Of course, we can’t forget too the Divine Mercy Chaplet which our Lord Himself asked to be recited especially at the Hour of Mercy – 3:00 pm, Friday.

Finally, there are a sufficient number of movies to be watched, oratorios to be listened to, and books to be read on the topic of our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection.  They need only be chosen in favor of the latest installment of our favorite television series or movie, commercial radio, or whatever novels and other reading materials that are on our table waiting to be read.

     The invitation is once again extended by our Lord.  Who will accept it?

     Remember who (and Whose!) you are,

Solemn Feast of St. Joseph (2)

I know.  You're saying "Why all the YouTube videos, Father?"  Right?  But there was a real cache of good articles I came across in the National Catholic Register (one of my "go to" sources), but because of pastoral responsibilities and travel I wasn't able to get them up until now.

The first is an interesting article by Mike Aquilina on how not only does St. Joseph not say a word in the Gospels, but no one else says a word TO him either - except the angels!  Enjoy!

The next is an article on appearances and apparitions over the centuries.  Who knew?  Well, Joseph Pronechen, the author has put it all together for us.

Another article, by Sr. Clare Hunter, is an "Examen for Masculine Virtue"; a great article for men (by a woman no less!) and the women wondering what they should be looking for in a man.

Finally, an article by Joseph O'Brien, of my own Diocese of La Crosse, on "St. Joseph and the Sacrifice of the Mass".

In addition to these articles there are two books to watch out for.  The first is by the afore mentioned Mike Aquilina, with a forward by Dr. Scott Hahn, "St. Joseph and His World".  This book really helps one understand the world in which the Holy Family lived.  We don't have to wonder about how they could have escaped to Egypt, this book helps us understand what an eminently logical plan it was.  Son of David?  What did St. Joseph understand about being a descendant of David?  This book tells us.

Another is a book that is to be released on May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Workman, by Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B., "Through the Heart of Joseph".  In speaking with Fr. Boniface, this seems to be a great follow on to Fr. Donald Calloway's "Consecration to St. Joseph".  This book also has a forward by Dr. Scott Hahn.

It is amazing to me that we have had such an explosion of material on St. Joseph over these past few years.  We have come to understand that St. Joseph's intercession will be an essential element in meeting the challenges of this period in human history - the history of salvation.  The material is a real gold mine, but it is only a start.  It is necessary that in having been give the opportunity to "know about" St. Joseph, that we come to "know" St. Joseph: this can only be accomplished by prayer.

Solemn Feast of St. Joseph

Today, March 19, the Church throughout the world celebrates the Solemn Feast of St. Joseph - the Husband of Mary.  This is such an important feast that the "Gloria" is sung at Mass - even in the middle of Lent!  I have published many postings on St. Joseph over this past "Year of St. Joseph" (both in the Diocese of La Crosse, WI, and in the Universal Church) which will end on December 8, 2021.

Here are a couple of new YouTube links on St. Joseph.  First, a link (14 minutes) with "Who is St. Joseph and Why do you need to know him?"  Next, a link (9 minutes) on "What was Mary and Joseph's relationship like?"  Both are discussions with Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Donald Calloway.  Next, a solo reflection by Dr. Scott Hahn titled: "Silent Knight, Holy Knight".  And finally, a 32 minute video by Dr. Hahn on a "Rosary of St. Joseph".  This last is a personal devotion that he developed and which he explains on the video.  It's interesting and has definite possibilities.  We'll see if he gets his bishops approval and how time will treat it.  That is, after all, the way of things in the Church from its beginnings.

Today and tomorrow I will be gathering with my religious "family", the "Institute of St. Joseph", a diocesan institute which is a public association of the faithful within the Catholic Church.  Please pray for our continued growth in grace as well as size (if it be God's holy will).

Missive (3/14)

 Dearest Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

We’ve hit Laetare Sunday, the (sort of) mid-point of Lent; a time to relax the Lenten disciplines for a day and get ready to pour on the coals as we hit the second half of Lent.  If you don’t feel like you’ve hit your Lenten stride yet, then relax a bit anyway and, while you’re relaxing, make a plan for how you’re going to hit that stride Monday morning.

The word “Laetare” is Latin for “REJOICE!”  This Sunday gets its name from the opening word of the introit, or, opening antiphon for this Mass: “Laetare, Ierúsalem: et convéntum fácite, omnes qui diligitis eam; which means: “Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together, all you who love her.”  The Jerusalem we love is, of course, heaven – the new Jerusalem.

This love for the new Jerusalem, for heaven, is our motivation for the Lenten disciplines we undertake.  It is also the motivation for the disciplines we extend throughout the rest of the year.  As the apostle, Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians (9:24-26): “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercise self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  We also see this motivation beautifully demonstrated in the “Song of Songs” from the Old Testament.

One of the first things our Lenten men’s group was asked to do was to think through and write down their motivation for undertaking the Exodus 40 Lenten program.  The designers of the program point out, rightly, that we can’t get to where we are going if we don’t clearly understand why we are undertaking this journey.  So it is for all of us – men, women, and children who follow Christ.  It is necessary that we understand our goal (the new Jerusalem – heaven) and also recognize that the journey there is not an easy one.  If it were, our blessed Mother would not have had to show the vision of hell to the three shepherd children at Fatima, there wouldn’t have been anything to show them!  All of those souls, so many that it seemed like a snow-storm to the children, would have been falling into heaven instead of hell.  So we see, the journey to heaven is not like “falling into something”, it is a steep climb, an arduous climb.

Let us then start afresh on Monday morning: entering into those Lenten disciplines like athletes training for a championship.  It will take giving some things up, hard work, and sometimes even facing ridicule: but imagine winning a prize that makes winning the Superbowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, the Ryder Cup, and every other prize there is seem like an afterthought.  That’s how good heaven is!  So let us rejoice in her today, and redouble our efforts to attain so great a prize tomorrow.  God has done His part, now we need to do ours.

Remember who (and Whose!) you are!

Confession (2)

In my last blog post I recommended four books on the Sacrament of
Reconciliation / Confession.  It is so important that we begin again to recognize this sacrament as a thing of beauty, a gift of grace from a Father Who loves us more than we can fathom.  A number of folks have talked to me about Confession and the difficulties they have with coming.

The difficulty that is raised over and over again is “What do I confess?”  This difficulty is especially raised by our older brothers and sisters, and in particular those who are relatively home-bound.  I can understand that we find ourselves in a quandary on this issue.  After all, we live in a culture that very consistently redefines sinful behavior as nothing more than misunderstanding of the actor’s motivation, meaning, or simply dismisses the idea that the behavior is sinful as a cultural idea.

Another difficulty we run into is we see our venial sins as sometimes so small as to not matter.  And yet, they most certainly DO matter.  What seems small to one person can loom rather large in the mind and heart of someone on the receiving end.

Imagine what would happen if we had the same attitude towards a little grain of dust in our automobile engine.  As we know, those little bits of dust eventually build up until they cause real problems.  That’s why we change the oil and filters in our vehicles regularly.  So it is with our sins.  That is why it is well-worth our while to come to Confession regularly, even frequently, to flush even those tiniest bits of sin out of our system. 

When these things are taken care of on a regular basis we find a particular joy in driving our vehicles.  They run so much better and make even an everyday drive a joy.  This is true in the spiritual life as well.  When the system is well maintained by regular (even frequent) Confession we discover more than a simple oil change and tune-up, we discover the joy of God’s presence in our lives.

Think that analogy is too far-fetched?  Then why do car collector completely wash, tune-up, and even change the oil in their cars after only a short afternoon drive?  And just think, you are worth more than all the collectible vehicles in the world combined!

Take care of yourself like the treasured collectible you are.

Confession

It is a great tragedy of the contemporary Church that so many continue to neglect this critically important avenue of grace.  God has given us this sacrament so that we might know more fully His great love for us as well as bring us the healing necessary so that all that grace He is pouring down on us every day might at last find its way into our hearts and souls.  Over the years I have collected a few books on Confession.  I’d like to recommend some of these for your consideration, healing, and spiritual growth.

The first is a book by Dr. Scott Hahn called Lord, Have Mercy: the healing power of Confession.  As always, Dr. Hahn gives a wonderful explanation of the sacrament and why we should want to participate, not once a year as the Church’s precepts direct, but frequently!  Dr. Hahn writes in a very popular style which is often amusing (even when talking about Confession) and always accessible.

My next recommendation is 7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn.  Flynn, who got his start at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, is a singer/songwriter, speaker, and author who also writes in a very accessible style.  What sets his book apart is how he answers so many of the objections and mis-understandings regarding Confession.  He does a wonderful job of bringing us back to Confession as a sacrament of healing so that we might fully know the love of God.

Once you have gotten over any misunderstandings or hang-ups concerning Confession, you might want to dig into Benedict Baur’s book, Frequent Confession: its place in the Spiritual Life.  Baur discusses why one would want to go frequently (like every other week, even weekly, but at least monthly).  He also dives into the problems we have with making a good Confession.  This book isn’t written in as popular a style as the previous two, but it is still quite accessible.

Finally, if you really want to get into the spirituality of Confession, I highly recommend Confession by Adrienne von Speyr.  Von Speyr was a native of Switzerland (1902-1967), a Catholic convert, and one of the great mystics of the 20^th century.  This book is not written in a popular style.  It is readable with, maybe, a little bit of help.  I’d like to say it’s a serious book for serious people, but I don’t want to take away from how valuable and solid the previous three are in this list.  But, it is a serious book.

My prayer would be that everyone would read at least one of these books.  The graces God has waiting for us in the sacrament of Reconciliation / Confession unlock the graces of all the other sacraments – kicking down the door of sin and woundedness which keeps us from making full use of the grace given in any other sacraments already received, as well as the grace that comes to us through our daily works of charity / mercy.

“May Christ our Lord help us all with His bountiful grace, so that we may know His holy will and perfectly fulfill it.” (St. Ignatius of Loyola)