Category Archives: Spirituality

Divine Mercy and our Youngest Canonized Saint – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

July 5, 2016Church, Divine Mercy, Penance and Reconciliation, Saints, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

St. Pope John Paul II visits the remains of St. Maria Goretti in 1979

Maria Goretti was born on October 16^th, 1890 in Italy. She came from a very poor family that struggled to make ends meet. Her father died when Maria was nine years old leaving her mother and siblings to tend the farm so that they could live. Maria stayed home and watched the youngest child as the others worked. Even though it was a difficult life for all of them, they were faith filled people.

A young man, Alessandro Serenelli, was a neighbor and he began make sexual advances towards young Maria. She kept putting him off telling him that it would be a mortal sin and that she would have nothing to do with his sexual advances. Finally, after several months of this, he attacked her forcibly trying to rape her. This little eleven year old girl fought off this 20 year old large boy. He finally told her that he would kill her if she didn’t give him what he wanted. She told him that she would rather die than commit this terrible sin. Alessandro tried strangling her and she fought him and he then stabbed her eleven times. When she then tried to make it to the door, he stabbed her another three times. The youngest child in the house began screaming and Alessandro ran away.

When Maria’s siblings and mother got to her, she was still alive. They immediately took her to the hospital, but the damage was so severe that they were not able to help her. The doctor working on her said to her, “Maria, think of me in paradise”. She responded, “I will think of you gladly.” The next day, Maria told her mother that she forgave Alessandro and wanted to see him in heaven with her. Shortly after, Maria died while holding a crucifix and staring at an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Alessandro was arrested shortly after the incident. He not only admitted the attempted rape and murder, but also said that he had been trying to seduce her for quite some time. Because of his age he was sentenced to thirty years in prison, instead of life imprisonment. A priest came to visit him in prison and Alessandro went in to a rage and began howling and lunging for the priest. After that, Alessandro hardly ate and was nervous and filled with despair. It was then that Maria appeared to him in a vision and told him that she forgave him. She was surrounded by lilies, the flower symbolic of purity. From that moment on, Alessandro was a changed man. Real peace entered his heart and he was an ideal prisoner. After serving his thirty year sentence, Alessandro went to a Franciscan Monastery and they accepted him as a lay brother. He went to visit Maria’s mother to ask her forgiveness. Marie’s mother said that if her daughter could forgive him, she would also. They actually attended Christmas mass together in the local parish church and Alessandro spoke before the people acknowledging his sin and asking for God’s forgiveness and the pardon of the community.

Forty years later, on June 24, 1950, Maria was canonized in St. Peter’s basilica in Rome. Alessandro, now firmly converted to the Lord, attended the canonization. He died on May 6, 1970 in the Capuchin convent of Macerata. A few years before that, Alessandro wrote that Maria was sent to him to guide and save him. He said that her words of both rebuke and forgiveness were etched in his heart. He called Maria his light, and his protectress and he anxiously awaited seeing her and her mother in heaven.

Maria is considered a virgin and a martyr because she gave up her life to keep God’s commandments. I think that her outpouring of mercy and deep care for the one who offended her show us a glimpse of the Divine Mercy that God pours out on us. For an eleven year old, she accomplished so much. God’s Divine Mercy triumphs in His Saints.

Independence Day – A Great Beginning, by the Grace of God by Deacon Marty McIndoe

July 3, 2016Godly Patriotism, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

The cross marks the spot where the first mass was celebrated in what would become The United States of America (St. Augustine, Florida). This happened 211 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1565).

The final stanza of our National Anthem, “The Star-spangled Banner”, has the phrase, “And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.” In 1864 the phrase, IN GOD WE TRUST, began appearing on our currency. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Congress made the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST our National motto. When you read any of our original documents, from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution to the Bill of Rights you can see that the “fathers” of our country saw the need for God in the everyday workings of the people and the government. Unfortunately today people and the government are turning further and further away from the recognition of God’s work within our country and within our personal lives. This troubles me greatly. I thought that for this Independence Day we could look at some quotes from our founding fathers. After the quotes are listed, I have a link to a post written by my friend, Rich Lamm entitled, 7 Awesome Fact About Charles Carroll, A True American Catholic and Patriot. This is found on the Epic Pew website, one that I really enjoy. Make sure that you follow the link at the end of the article to check it out. It is fascinating.

Samuel Adam

As the Declaration of Independence was being signed, 1776, Samuel Adams declared:

“We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.”

~ Samuel Adams (1722 – 1803) is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

George Washington

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

~ George Washington (1789 – 1797), first President of the United States

Thomas Jefferson
3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event.”
_{—Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.}

“I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.”

—The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, p. 385.

John Hancock
1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. … Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
_{—History of the United States of America, Vol. II, p. 229.}

James Monroe
5th U.S. President

“When we view the blessings with which our country has been favored, those which we now enjoy, and the means which we possess of handing them down unimpaired to our latest posterity, our attention is irresistibly drawn to the source from whence they flow. Let us then, unite in offering our most grateful acknowledgments for these blessings to the Divine Author of All Good.”
_{–Monroe made this statement in his 2nd Annual Message to Congress, November 16, 1818.}

John Quincy Adams
6th U.S. President

“The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth.

Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time. And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made ‘bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God’ (Isaiah 52:10).”
_{—Life of John Quincy Adams, p. 248.}

William Penn
Founder of Pennsylvania

“I do declare to the whole world that we believe the Scriptures to contain a declaration of the mind and will of God in and to those ages in which they were written; being given forth by the Holy Ghost moving in the hearts of holy men of God; that they ought also to be read, believed, and fulfilled in our day; being used for reproof and instruction, that the man of God may be perfect. They are a declaration and testimony of heavenly things themselves, and, as such, we carry a high respect for them. We accept them as the words of God Himself.”
_{—Treatise of the Religion of the Quakers}_{, p. 355.}

Benjamin Rush
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution

“The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations!”
_{—The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush, pp. 165-166.}

“Christianity is the only true and perfect religion, and that in proportion as mankind adopts its principles and obeys its precepts, they will be wise and happy.”
_{—Essays, Literary, Moral, and Philosophical, published in 1798.}

I know there is an objection among many people to teaching children doctrines of any kind, because they are liable to be controverted. But let us not be wiser than our Maker.

“If moral precepts alone could have reformed mankind, the mission of the Son of God into all the world would have been unnecessary.

The perfect morality of the gospel rests upon the doctrine which, though often controverted has never been refuted: I mean the vicarious life and death of the Son of God.”
_{—Essays, Literary, Moral, and Philosophical, published in 1798.}

John Witherspoon
Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Clergyman and President of Princeton University

“While we give praise to God, the Supreme Disposer of all events, for His interposition on our behalf, let us guard against the dangerous error of trusting in, or boasting of, an arm of flesh … If your cause is just, if your principles are pure, and if your conduct is prudent, you need not fear the multitude of opposing hosts.

“What follows from this? That he is the best friend to American liberty, who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind.

“Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy of his country.”
_{–Sermon at Princeton University, “The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men,” May 17, 1776.}

Alexander Hamilton
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution

“I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor.

I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man.”
_{—Famous American Statesmen, p. 126.}

Patrick Henry
Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”
_{—The Trumpet Voice of Freedom: Patrick Henry of Virginia, p. iii.}

“The Bible … is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed.”
_{—Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry, p. 402.}

Certainly the majority of the founding fathers were Episcopal or Protestant. However, many Catholics also added to the building of our country. As a matter of fact, two hundred and eleven (211) years BEFORE the Declaration of Independence was signed, Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first Catholic mass on what was to become American soil. He did this in St. Augustine, Florida (see picture). One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was Charles Carroll, Catholic and Patriot. Check out his story at the Epic Pew site by clicking here: http://epicpew.com/7-fact-charles-carroll-true-american-catholic-patriot/

God bless you and God bless America!

What God Has Joined Together – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

June 24, 2016Church, Family, Liturgy, Marriage, Sacraments, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

Earlier this year I presided at the wedding of my Godson (through RCIA) and his lovely wife.

My wife and I just celebrated our 47^th wedding anniversary. So far, for June, I have presided at three different weddings. I really enjoy presiding at weddings because I love to see the joy of the couple and I know how important weddings are to the Church. I thought it would be a great time to look at this gift that God has given us in Marriage. For us as Catholics, the Church tells us that The Sacrament of Matrimony is one of the seven sacraments of the Church. We then immediately know that, as a Sacrament, it is an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual divine grace. This Sacrament of Marriage is one part of the two “Mission” sacraments, along with the Sacrament of Holy Orders. We speak of having a vocation to Holy Orders (Bishop, Priest or Deacon) and/or a vocation to Matrimony. In actuality, deacons can have both. They both are so important in the mission of the Church. Remember that Vocation literally means a calling from God. Let us look at this special calling from God when we discern that we are called to be married.

Unfortunately today the Church has seen a drop in the number of people who want to get married in the Church. So many young people have pushed God to the side in their lives and a Church wedding isn’t that important to them. I find this to be sad, as I believe very strongly that when a couple enters in to the Sacrament of Marriage, it is a forever gift of Divine Grace to them. I certainly would not want to say that people who marry outside of the Sacrament are not helped out by God in their marriage. God works through all things. However, those people who know what Sacramental Grace is all about, would definitely want to have the Sacrament of Marriage. I also know that the Church, because it holds this Sacrament up so high, makes it somewhat hard to receive it, if the right conditions are not met. Those who have had a previous marriage know that they must first deal with that previous marriage by either annulment or “defect of form”. Each case varies so much that it is impossible to cover it all in this article, but your local priest or deacon will help you.

In the book of Genesis we hear how God first creates man and the animals but then sees that man needs something more than animals to fulfill his life. It is then that He creates woman from the very side of man (bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh). Genesis also clearly states that God is VERY pleased with what He has created. Genesis also tells us that when God created man and woman He created THEM in His very image. For me, that means that if I really want to see the image of God, I cannot look at just a man or just a woman. I need to look at both of them to see His image. A man and woman joined together in marriage reflect who God is. The love and care and concern and nurturing and fruitfulness of their relationship reveal God himself. God created us as equals, but also quite different. As the French say, Vive la difference (literally, long live the difference). We cannot help but to see that the idea for marriage between a man and a woman comes to us directly from God at the very beginning of creation.

Our God is a God of LIFE! He decided that we would join in with Him in co-creating Life. He made the difference between man and woman a means of bringing forth new life. Anyone who has been pregnant or been around someone who is pregnant cannot help but to be in awe at this gift of life. When a man and woman come together to bring forth life, they are living their own source and summit of their marriage (yes, I know these words are often used concerning the Eucharist which is the high point of our Christian life and worship). It is definitely the high point of their call. However, just like God, married life should be totally surrounded by LOVE. A man and woman who are called by God to come to the Sacrament of Matrimony are called by the great LOVE that they have for each other. It is this LOVE, which is the very essence of God that brings LIFE in to a marriage.

Life in a marriage is much more than just having children, although that is certainly important. Life in a marriage means that the man and wife help to bring LIFE to each other, every day. They are there to help each grow in relationship to each other and in relationship to God. They are there to support and encourage each other and to assist each other in the ministries that God calls them to. In my marriage, each of us has different ministries. Some we do separate from each other, and some we do together. No matter what, we support each other in our ministries. Certainly one important ministry is raising our children. This is a joy filled, but difficult, endeavor. We need each other to assist one another and support one another. But, we also need to have time alone for each other. When I do marriage preparation (Pre-Cana), I always tell the couples that they need to have time alone with each other. There should always be some kind of “date night”. I know that this is sometimes difficult to do, but we really need to do it. Let grandparents or aunts and uncles or friends come in to watch your children while you go out. If money is tight, you don’t need to spend a lot. Sometimes a walk on a beach or in the woods, or downtown, is all you need. The Church realizes that the family is the basic building block of the Church and the bond between the man and woman is the basic building block of the family. We also know that marriage is a rich symbol of the relationship that Jesus, the groom, has with his Church, the bride. When we see man and wife loving each other and caring for each other and supporting each other, we can see what Jesus does for the Church.

I don’t think that it is an accident that the first miracle recorded in the Gospels that Jesus performs is the turning water in to wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Jesus, in doing this, shows us that with him we can have the very best wine, not just some lower grade. With Jesus in our marriage, we can have the very best marriage. One that people will recognize as a gift from God. Jesus talks about marriage in his Gospels. He recalls the Genesis account on the creation of woman and said that “therefore a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH”. He then tells them that “Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.” This is why the Church takes such a tough stand on divorce.

Marriage, as good as it is, is still difficult at times. Having two different people living together in the same space and having to make important decisions is not easy. That is where God’s grace comes in. I have no doubt in my mind that if my wife and I hadn’t invited Jesus in to our marriage, we would not be together today. Now, after 47 years of marriage, I can tell you that even counting the difficult times, it is the best thing that I have done. I give thanks to God for the way He works through both of us and I pray that you, in your marriage, will open yourselves up to inviting Jesus in more and more each day. With Jesus, marriage can be full and sparkling and enjoyable, like the very best wine.

The Mass Is Profoundly Biblical by Karlo Broussard

June 10, 2016Apologetics, Church, Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Liturgy, Scripture, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

A photo I took inside the cave of St. Jerome. This is located beneath the Church of the Nativity. Beginning in 386, St. Jerome spent 30 years putting together the first full Bible, the Vulgate. He lived in this cave to be as close to where Jesus was born as possible while working on the Sacred Scriptures. His version was used up until the 20th Century.

Are Catholics Bible Christians? A Catholic who ponders this question may think, “Well, I know that Protestants call themselves Bible Christians, and Catholics don’t really use that terminology; so I guess I would have to answer ‘No.’” However, Catholics should respond to such a question with an immediate “Yes.”

As Catholics, we are 100 percent Bible Christians—that is to say, the Catholic Church believes that the Bible is the inspired word of God and, as such, according to the Second Vatican Council, the Bible “stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life” (Dei Verbum 21). Therefore, Catholics are indeed Bible Christians—and there is perhaps no other aspect of the Catholic faith that exemplifies this more than the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Familiarity with God’s word leads one to conclude that the Catholic Mass is not a foreign experience from the Bible. In fact, its structure, its words and gestures, and even its built-in theology are embedded in the pages of sacred Scripture. An examination of this “Bible blueprint” leads to the discovery that Catholic worship is truly a biblical style of worship.

The introductory rite

The Christian can recognize the biblical nature of Catholic worship in the first prayer of the Mass, the sign of the cross. The language of the prayer comes directly from Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands his apostles to go out into all nations and baptize them “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The gesture, a cross over the body, is implicitly found in the book of Ezekiel when the prophet receives the following instruction: “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it” (Ezek. 9:4). The mark given was meant to label those among the faithful remnant of God’s people who abhorred the abominations to the Lord and spare them from God’s wrath and judgment.

The significance for the gesture of the cross is that the word for mark in Hebrew is simply the Hebrew letter, taw, which is shaped like an X or plus sign. The Greek version is the letter tau, which is T-shaped, like the Franciscan cross. So the Catholic practice of making the sign of the cross not only reminds the Christian of the cross of Christ, which won the gift of salvation, but in light of the biblical tradition it also serves to be a visible expression of fidelity to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ and separation from the evil ways of the world.

Another part of the introductory rite that parallels the biblical blueprint is the greeting. The priest says, “The Lord be with you,” and the congregation responds, “And with your spirit.” The first thing to note is the biblical origin of the language. It comes from 2 Timothy 4:22: “The Lord be with your spirit.” Like the sign of the cross, the theological significance of the phrase “the Lord be with you” lies in the Old Testament. Throughout salvation history such language is never used for ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. It always signifies a unique vocation and mission that will impact the whole history of Israel and ensure God’s protection and help in carrying out that mission.

For example, when an angel calls Gideon to defend God’s people from a foreign invasion, the angel says, “The Lord is with you” (Judg. 6:12). The angel Gabriel greets Mary with the same phrase (Luke 1:28). When applied to our liturgical experience, this greeting signifies that the laity has access to the power of God to carry out its unique vocation in the Father’s plan of salvation: to be “witnesses to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) and to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Similarly, when the congregation responds, “And with your spirit,” it acknowledges that the priest too has a unique vocation within the Father’s plan of salvation: to make the cross of Christ present on the altar.

The Confiteor, which is the prayer that begins “I confess to almighty God,” is also rooted in biblical tradition. An examination of the biblical texts in the Old Testament reveals that the act of verbal confession was an essential part of public worship for ancient Israel. When the Israelites renewed their covenant with Yahweh through the priest Ezra after returning to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile, they “stood and confessed their sins” (Neh. 9:2). Leviticus 5:5 states that the penitent must verbally confess his sins as a part of the ritual for the guilt offering.

A final prayer of the introductory rite that can be seen as constructed from the biblical blueprint is the Gloria. The very first line is a direct quote from the Bible: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.” These are the same words the angel addresses the shepherds with to announce the birth of the Messiah (see Luke 2:14, Douay Rheims Version). The titles that the prayer ascribes to God are also found in the Sacred Page, such as “almighty” (cf. Ps. 68:14, 91:1) and “heavenly king” (cf. Ps. 98:6, 99:4; Is. 43:15). In reference to Jesus, the language of “only begotten Son” comes from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [Greek, monogene] Son” (NAB). The title “Lamb of God” comes from John 1:29; “Holy One” is found in Revelation 3:7 and 16:5; and “the Lord” in 1 Corinthians 8:5 and Philippians 2:11.

The Liturgy of the Word

The next part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Word, many of whose parts are embedded in Scripture. First of all, the very act of proclaiming the Word of God within the context of liturgy goes back to the book of Exodus. In the liturgical ceremony for the ratification of the Sinaitic covenant Moses “took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people…” (Ex. 24:7). The Israelites then responded in faith by saying, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Ex. 24:7).

This corresponds to the liturgical practice of responding to the biblical readings with the words, “Thanks be to God.” It is a form of the New Israel’s response of faith to the New Covenant. Therefore, the liturgy, as the natural habitat for the proclamation of the God’s word, is an essential element of the blueprint for the worship that Israel, both old and new, must offer to God.

A few of the prayers and gestures surrounding the gospel reading also have biblical precedence. One such prayer is the alleluia (Hebrew, “God be praised”) and finds its roots in the Jewish Hallel Psalms (Ps. 113-118), which are prayed in the Jewish Passover liturgy to give praise to Yahweh for deliverance from Egypt in the Exodus.

The alleluia is also found in John’s heavenly vision of the wedding supper of the Lamb at which the angels praise God for his work of salvation through Jesus and announce the coming of the Lamb for his wedding feast (cf. Rev. 19:1-9). Therefore, the Catholic prayer of alleluia prior to the Gospel reading signals the celebration of a new Passover and a participation in the heavenly marriage feast of the Lamb.

While praying the alleluia, one will notice that the congregation stands for the reading of the Gospel. This calls to mind Nehemiah 8:5, where the whole assembly stands when Ezra, the priest, begins to read from the book of the covenant as they renew the covenant with Yahweh after returning to Jerusalem from exile. Just as the assembly of Israel stood for the reading of the old Law of Moses, Christians stand for the reading of the new Law of Jesus as found in the Gospels.

Another detail worthy of mention is the priest’s private prayer before the altar as he approaches the ambo: “Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your Gospel.” This request calls to mind the cleansing of Isaiah’s lips in Isaiah 6:6-7, which takes place prior to his prophetical proclamation of the word of the Lord to Israel. The priest, like Isaiah, requests the cleansing of his lips before proclaiming the word of the Lord to the New Israel, the Church.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

As the Mass moves into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, one continues to recognize a construct of prayers, gestures, and practices that allude to the Bible. For example, the bread and wine calls to mind the sacrifice of thanksgiving offered by the priest-king Melchizedek in Genesis 14:14-16. It is against this Old Testament backdrop that Jesus, whom the author of Hebrews identifies as a priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:10), offers bread and wine at the Last Supper.

Therefore, the offering of bread and wine in the Catholic Mass signifies that the sacrifice soon to take place is one like Melchizedek, namely a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Greek, eucharistia), and is offered by a priest of the order of Melchizedek, i.e., the priest who acts in persona Christi.

Another Bible passage that may come to mind during the offertory prayers is Daniel 3:39-40 (NAB), where Azariah prays while standing in the midst of the fiery furnace, “But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; As though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly.”

This passage serves as a possible background for the prayer for acceptance of sacrifice, which reads, “With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you.”

Along with the prayers of offertory, the priestly act of washing hands models the biblical tradition. According to Leviticus 30:18-21, Moses instructs the Levitical priests to wash their hands in the bronze basin located next to the altar of sacrifice outside the tabernacle before entering to perform their priestly duties. The Catholic priest washes his hands because he is about to enter the heavenly tabernacle that is made present in time and space when he confects the Eucharist.

An additional ritual worthy of highlight is the priestly offering of incense. For any Jew, this calls to mind the altar of incense located in the Holy Place of the wilderness tabernacle and in Solomon’s Temple at which the Levitical priest would minister. Furthermore, St. John describes in the Book of Revelation presbyters, i.e., priests, offering golden bowls of incense in the heavenly sanctuary (cf. Rev. 5:8). Therefore, the offering of incense in the Catholic Mass is one of common practice among the people of God throughout salvation history and signifies that the Catholic faithful mystically participate in the worship of the heavenly Temple.

The next major prayer that contains elements directly derived from the Bible is the Sanctus. The threefold acclamation of God’s holiness—holy, holy, holy—is found in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah describes his vision of the heavenly throne room and how within it he sees and hears the angels singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Is. 6:3). Similarly, St. John sees the same thing when he is given access to the heavenly throne room of the Lamb. He writes in Revelation 4:8, “And the four living creatures . . . day and night . . . never cease to sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” Perhaps this makes sense out of the preface before the prayer of the Sanctus:

“And so, with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominions, and with all the hosts and powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory, as without end we acclaim.”

The Sanctus is thus a sign to the Catholic faithful that they are sacramentally entering into the heavenly sanctuary to join their voices with the heavenly beings.

The words of institution

Next in the lineup are the words of institution, which unfortunately cannot be given a full exegesis due to the limited scope of this article. However, a few points cannot go without mentioning.

First, the words “This is my body . . . this is my blood” find their origin in the Last Supper narratives of the Synoptic Gospels and St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (see Matt. 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, 1 Cor. 11:24-25).

Secondly, the phrase “the blood of the new and eternal covenant” is a combination of Luke’s account, in which he records Jesus to say “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20) and Matthew’s version, in which Jesus is recorded saying, “For this is my blood of the covenant” (Matt. 26:28).

It is Matthew’s Gospel that most explicitly makes the connection to the Old Testament tradition. If a Jew heard the words “the blood of the covenant,” he would immediately call to mind the ratification ceremony of the Sinaitic covenant in Exodus 24, where Moses says, “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words” (Ex. 24:8). Therefore, Jesus’ words at the Last Supper signify that it is the ratification ceremony for the New Covenant. It is this New Covenant ceremony that Catholics mystically share in and are present at in the celebration of the Eucharist.

A final prayer that is necessary to establish as part of the Bible blueprint is the anamnesis of Eucharistic Prayer IV, which reads, in part, “we offer you his body and blood, the sacrifice acceptable to you which brings salvation to the whole world.” This offering of Jesus in sacrifice rings a sound of horror to the Protestant ear, considering that Hebrews 7:27 states, “He [Jesus] has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily; . . . he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”

Is the Catholic Church re-crucifying Jesus and consequently among those that the letter of Hebrews speaks of in 6:6: “they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.” The key to answering this question lies in the Catholic doctrine that the Eucharist makes present the one and same sacrifice of Christ in the here and now behind the signs of bread and wine (cf. CCC 1366-1367). Therefore, the sacrifice of the Mass is not a re-crucifixion of Jesus.

But the question remains: Is this theological construct biblical? The answer is yes! The author of Hebrews describes Jesus as “a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord” (Heb. 8:2). In other words, Jesus’ priestly ministry continues forever in the heavenly realm (cf. Heb. 7:25). Now, because “every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices” (Heb. 8:3a) “it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer” (Heb. 8:3b).

What does Christ offer to the Father in the heavenly sanctuary as high priest? The offering cannot be anything less than his sacrifice on the cross, since that was his definitive priestly act. Therefore, the Bible blueprint reveals the one and same sacrifice of Christ on the cross being made present in the heavenly sanctuary in an unbloody manner. Such a conclusion is also supported by the fact that St. John describes Jesus appearing in the heavenly sanctuary as a slain lamb (cf. Rev. 5:6).

Thus the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is forever made present before the Father and is not restricted to time and space. Consequently, that same sacrifice can be made substantially present in the here and now in an unbloody manner every time the faithful liturgically remember the sacrifice of Christ in the anamnesis.

So, in conclusion, embedded in the sacred pages of God’s divine word is a blueprint with which God’s holy people, the Church, can construct a form of worship that is truly pleasing to the Lord. The Mass and the Bible are inseparable, and together they orient the Catholic faithful toward the destiny to which all humans are called: heaven.

Karlo Broussard

Apologetics Speaker

Karlo Broussard, a native of Crowley, Louisiana, left a promising musical career to devote himself full-time to the work of Catholic apologetics. For more than a decade he has traveled the country teaching apologetics, biblical studies, theology, and philosophy. Karlo has published articles on a variety of subjects in Catholic Answers Magazine, is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live, and is an active blogger at \http://www.catholic.com

Karlo holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology from Catholic Distance University and the Augustine Institute, and is currently working on his masters in philosophy with Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He also worked for several years in an apprenticeship with nationally known author and theologian Fr. Robert J. Spitzer at the Magis Center of Reason and Faith.

Karlo is one of the most dynamic and gifted Catholic speakers on the circuit today, communicating with precision of thought, a genuine love for God, and an enthusiasm that inspires.

Karlo resides in Murrieta, CA with his wife and four children. You can view Karlo’s online videos at KarloBroussard.com. You can also book Karlo for a speaking event by contacting Catholic Answers at 619-387-7200.

St. Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Doctor of the Church, HARP OF THE SPIRIT – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

June 8, 2016Apologetics, Church, Diaconate, Early Church Fathers, Liturgy, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

June 9^th we celebrate the feast of St. Ephrem. He was born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia (now Turkey/Syrian border) in the year 306. He was a prolific writer and helped fight the Arianism heresy that was so prevalent at his time. He wrote over 400 hymns (we still have the lyrics) and is credited with making music a very large part of the liturgy. Many of his songs were instructional as well as inspirational. He was a great teacher and after moving to Edessa, helped to make the School of Edessa the heart of the Syrian speaking world. He was a biblical scholar who wrote many commentaries on the scriptures. He fought hard to make the teachings of the Bible and the Council of Nicea stand within the Church.

St. Ephrem was a very simple and humble man. He spent a good deal of time living in a cave. He accepted ordination as a deacon but refused to be ordained a priest. When pressure was put on him to be named Bishop, he feigned mental illness. His writings really show his holiness. At the bottom of this post, I have included several quotes of his. Besides writing scripture commentaries and hymns, he wrote poems. It is said that his poetic account of the Last Judgment inspired Dante. St. Ephrem died of the plague on June 9, 373. He had been caring for plague victims. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV proclaimed Ephrem to be a Doctor of the Church. He is the only Syrian to hold that distinction.

I really believe that we can learn about Ephrem from his writings. His quotes are quite inspirational and can help us today. The first quotes are on various topics. I ended with a quote that he wrote for his own funeral. God bless.

QUOTES:

The boldness of our love is pleasing to you, O Lord, just as it pleased you that we should steal from your bounty.

Remember me, ye heirs of God, ye brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day.

You (Jesus) alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for there is no blemish in you nor any stains upon your Mother. Who of my children can compare in beauty to these?

Let books be your dining table, And you shall be full of delights. Let them be your mattress, And you shall sleep restful nights.

Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.

The word of God is a tree of life that offers us blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like that rock which was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered spiritual drink. Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddened because he has overcome you. A thirsty person is happy when drinking, and not depressed, because the spring is inexhaustible. You can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring; then when you thirst again, you can drink from it once more.

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, meddling, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother; for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

Scripture brought me to the Gate of Paradise, and the mind stood in wonder as it entered.

When you begin to read or listen to the Holy Scriptures, pray to God thus: “Lord Jesus Christ, open the ears and eyes of my heart so that I may hear Thy words and understand them, and may fulfill Thy will.” Always pray to God like this, that He might illumine your mind and open to you the power of His words. Many, having trusted in their own reason, have turned away into deception.

You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord Himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us so that we may love Him.

Who is far from love is a bad state, and to be pitied. He passes his days in a delirious dream, far from God, deprived of light, and he lives in darkness … Whoever does not have the love of Christ is an enemy of Christ. He walks in darkness and is easily led into any sin.

It is blasphemy if you pray before God while you are full of anger.

Blessed the one who has become a good spiritual net and caught many for the good Lord, such a one will greatly praised by the Lord.

Blessed the one who, exalted by love, has become a city founded upon a mountain, from which the enemy, when he saw it, withdrew in fear, trembling at its security in the Lord.

Funeral Quote:
Lay me not with sweet spices,
For this honor avails me not,
Nor yet use incense and perfumes,
For the honor befits me not.
Burn yet the incense in the holy place;
As for me, escort me only with your prayers,
Give ye your incense to God,
And over me send up hymns.
Instead of perfumes and spices,
Be mindful of me in your intercessions.
(From The Testament of St. Ephrem)

Praying for Healing – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

June 5, 2016Blessed Virgin Mary, Church, Healing, Life in the Spirit, Miracles, Prayer, Sacraments, Scripture, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

The Pool of Bethesda (with the five porticoes) where Jesus healed a man who had been infirm for 38 years. It is interesting that the Romans built their own temple right next to it that was for their god of healing, Aesculapius.

I believe very strongly in the power of prayer. When anyone asks me to pray for them, or for a loved one, I immediately tell them that I will. So often these prayers are for some kind of healing to take place. Since my own real conversion to the Lord in 1972, I have seen so many of these prayers answered; but I have also seen so many that seem to be unanswered. It often appears to be quite a confusing process. If we pray for someone, and they are healed, it is fantastic. If we pray for someone and they are not healed, it seems so sad. A big question to ask is, do we give someone false hope in saying that they may receive a healing? Another question is what do they think of God who sometimes seems to heal people and sometimes seems to ignore them? The Church tells us that God wants us to pray to Him for help in every situation. Scriptures are full of examples of miraculous healings at the hands of Jesus and at the hands of the Apostles and other members of the early Church. Throughout the ages we have had so many accounts of Saints who have brought healings to people. It seems that every place where there has been a Marian Apparition, healings abound. There is no doubt that miraculous healings do occur, but certainly not apparently in every case.

In my own life I have seen miraculous healing occur in me, as a result of prayer. Around 1980, I went for an annual checkup. This was done in a clinic where they did all of the body fluid tests, and X-rays and then sent a report to my personal physician. A few days after the tests, my physician called me and told me he wanted to see me in his office as soon as possible. I went in and he told me that the chest X-ray that they took showed a mass growing between my heart and my lung. He also told me that since this report came from a clinic where a lot of people were treated at the same time, a mistake could have been made. He had me go for a new chest X-ray. The new X-ray confirmed that there was a sizeable mass growing between my heart and my lung. My doctor then referred me to a thoracic surgeon. By now I was quite concerned and I asked my local parish charismatic prayer group to pray for me. They all gathered around me and laid hands upon me and prayed for a healing. I went to the thoracic surgeon and he did another X-ray, this time in his own office. He examined the X-ray and confirmed again the mass being there and said he wanted to schedule me for surgery. I asked him if it was cancerous and he told me that he really wouldn’t know until a biopsy was done on the removed mass. I was scheduled for surgery about two weeks away. I again went to the weekly Charismatic prayer meeting and again they laid hands on me and prayed over me. A few days before the surgery was scheduled, the surgeon sent me to an X-ray facility for what they called a triangulation X-ray. He said he needed this to determine the exact depth and location of the mass so he could operate properly. This was before MRI’s. After that X-ray was taken, he called me back to his office and told me that somehow the mass had totally disappeared. He was dumbfounded as to why, but I told him that I had been prayed over for a healing. He said that was the only explanation he could offer. He scheduled me for follow up X-rays (I figured that all these X-rays would cause cancer, but I had to do it) and none of the follow ups, to this very day, have shown the mass re-appearing. I felt very strongly that it was the Lord who had healed me because of the prayers I went through. God is so good. I have had other healings in my life too, but this was the most dramatic, and best documented.

I have also witnessed many miraculous healings of others. In 1982, I was attending a Priest’s and Deacon’s Conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Although this was open only to Priests and Deacons and Seminarians, on Thursday evening they had a Healing Mass and opened it to the general public. Several priests, known for healing ministries, were there and concelebrated the mass. Fr. Ralph DiOrio was one of those priests and he came down walking among the people sprinkling them with Holy Water while prayers for healing were being said. I was sitting in a row with several priests and deacons and some laypeople. One nearby man, who came in with sunglasses and a red tipped walking cane, was helped to his seat by his wife. It was obvious that he was totally blind. When the Holy Water landed upon him, he let out a large cry and immediately took off his glasses and started looking around. He kept exclaiming, “I can see, I can see”. He and his wife were overjoyed and their eyes were filled with tears of joy. Throughout the rest of the evening the man kept looking all around in wonder. I especially remember him looking through his wife’s pocketbook and looking at various items and pictures. I am not sure if he had ever seen during his lifetime. He acted as if this was the first time he had vision. It was a very wonderful evening with many healings being attested to.

Another time my wife and I were on a retreat at Mount Saint Augustine in Staten Island. Fr. Francis MacNutt was leading the weekend. He was known for the many healings that occurred when he prayed with people. There was a young woman in her early twenties that was there who had difficulty in walking. She had one normal shoe and one shoe that had about a six inch lift on it. She shared that she had been in a bad auto accident and that her leg bone was so damaged that they had to remove six inches from it. She also suffered from some hip injuries. She walked on her own with the lift shoe, but not very well. Fr. MacNutt prayed over her and as hard as it is to believe, her leg started extending. By the time the prayers were over, she had to remove the lift and her regular shoe and walk around barefoot. She not only walked, she ran around leaping and jumping for joy. I remember that for the rest of the weekend she had to go around barefoot because her legs were now the same length. At the end of the weekend, her mom came to pick her up and the minute she saw her daughter leaping and running around in bare feet, she completely broke down in pure joy. If I hadn’t been there to see the whole thing, I probably wouldn’t have believed it. But it HAPPENED! God is good.

I have worked on many healing prayer teams over the last 40 plus years and I have seen many other healings. I have visited Marian Shrines and have seen healings and the evidence of healings. I have been at other conventions and retreats and seen healings. I know, without any doubt, that they do exist. BUT, I have also prayed with many people who have not been healed. I find it so difficult to understand why. Shortly after the healing of the woman with the shortened leg, I came home and went to pray with the teenage son of a member of our prayer group. This young boy had advanced bone cancer. I felt for sure that if we kept praying over him, he would be healed. Unfortunately, he never was, and he died at seventeen. I kept asking the big WHY? I don’t pretend to have the answer to that. Why does healing occur in some people, and not in others? I really dislike it when people say that it is because they do not have enough faith. In my experience, this is not true. Many people with very strong faith have not been healed. We can only answer the question by stating the obvious….we cannot understand the plans of God. We can only trust in Him. We also limit ourselves to what we experience. Our experience is the limited life span that we as humans normally have. However, our God has given us the gift of unlimited life for all of eternity. A child, who dies young, even though we see it as very tragic, is going to live forever. Our own lifespan now, whether it is only a few hours or over one hundred years, is miniscule compared to all of eternity. That person who is “taken away” from us will be reunited with us for all eternity. That is what the Good News is all about. We have LIFE now, so we can LIVE forever.

So where does that leave us when we need healing or when we are asked to pray for healing? First of all, we should depend upon the medical profession to help us. God has given many gifts to the doctors and nurses and others who care for us. Secondly, when there is serious illness, we should go to our local priest and ask to be given the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. In addition to these we should pray and ask others to pray for us. One of the people that we should ask to pray for us is the Blessed Virgin Mary. She loves her children so very much and wants the best for them. Her prayers for us are so powerful. We should also realize that when we don’t see an apparent miracle, God, through our prayers, has been at work in the situation. Sometimes the healing is more on the spiritual side then on the physical side. Our prayers work, but not always the way we think that they should.

I believe that we are always called to be filled with the HOPE of a MIRACLE and always continue on in praying for those who need it. We should pray for the fullness of life and pray for the best of life. But, we should also know that God has a plan that is much better than we can imagine. We need to be able to say, “Jesus, I trust in you”. His plan for us is for all of us to live together with Him forever and forever and forever. God is good!

As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us – by A.J. Avila

June 3, 2016Healing, Penance and Reconciliation, SpiritualityForgivenessdeacon.marty@gmail.com

I stared at the computer screen. According to Facebook, my eighth grade teacher, Sister Ann (not her real name), had died at the age of 99.

Former students posted about what a wonderful teacher she had been, what a sweet person she was.

Which she was—to everybody except me.

In about the fourth grade, I began being bullied by some of the other girls in my class.

I couldn’t figure out what had caused this shift in attitude. We were still the same girls as before, weren’t we? Yet, all of a sudden they called me stupid and ugly. Despite my prowess with a basketball, I was always the last chosen for a team—and even then the team captains argued over who had to take me.

Of course my athletic skill had nothing to do with it. It was all about popularity, and it was made abundantly clear that I was at the bottom of the pecking order.

That was difficult enough, but in the eighth grade, Sister Ann joined in the bullying.

I don’t know what it was about me that set Sister off. Maybe I reminded her of someone who had done her wrong in her past. Maybe it was because she’d had my older sister as a student a few years before, and Sis could be quite a handful.

Whatever the reason, she would scream at me, her face red and her body trembling with anger, over something as trivial as a book cover. I could get into trouble for the horrible crime of saying “Excuse me, Sister” when I wanted to ask her a question.

I could not talk to my mother about this. She had already told me the bullying from the other girls was my fault. “You must have done something,” she said. But for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what I had done to invite such animosity.

[SIDENOTE: After graduation I did find out the reason. From overhearing three of the girls talking about me behind my back, I discovered—to my utter shock—that they hated me because they thought I was prettier than they were. I understand now why envy is one of the Deadly Sins. It’s toxic. It’s the one sin that, as Dr. Peter Kreeft puts it, doesn’t even make you happy while you’re committing it.]

There was no way I could tell my mother that a teacher, a nun!, was doing this to me. Most likely she wouldn’t believe me, and even if she did, I would get blamed.

So I suffered in silence.

Eventually graduation rolled around, and I was released from the abuse. By that time my self-esteem had dropped to near zero. The pain followed me into adulthood.

It didn’t take much to trigger the anguish and an abundance of tears. Just seeing a photo or hearing a song from that time period could set me off. It wasn’t an everyday occurrence, but about once a year again the tears would flow.

“It was so long ago,” my husband said. “Why can’t you get over it?”

That was a good question. Why couldn’t I? I knew I had to forgive Sister Ann and my other tormentors, so I did. I forgave them again and again. And again. And again. And yet again.

Why did it still hurt so much?

Then one day I discovered a way to let go. I was in pain, wasn’t I? What are you, as a Catholic, supposed to do with your pain?

You’re supposed to offer it up.

And then, like a light bulb brightening over my head, it occurred to me to offer up my pain for the souls of my tormentors.

When you think about it, this is what Jesus did for us on the cross. Those were my sins that crucified Him, yet He offered up his agony for the sake of my soul.

This kind of forgiveness didn’t make the pain stop immediately. But it did diminish it. Every time the anguish returned, I offered up the pain for my abusers. And every time I did that, the pain lessened.

So now, there I was, staring at Facebook. Sister Ann had died.

“My all-time favorite teacher!” one poster gushed.

If anything was going to evoke another crying fit, this was it.

And I did feel pain. But it was just a twinge.

What kind of comment could I leave? “Praying for the repose of her soul,” I typed.

In every Our Father, we recite, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” It is my fervent prayer that God forgives me the cruelties I’ve inflicted on others the same way I’ve learned to forgive those who inflicted them on me.

Visit A.J. Avila at her website: https://reflections911.wordpress.com/author/ajavilanovels/

Trinity Missions – a Look at Serving God through Serving the Poor by Deacon Marty McIndoe

May 22, 2016Church, Evangelism, Spirituality, Vocationdeacon.marty@gmail.com

Behind altar is a stained glass that has both Indian and Christian symbols

St. Kateri Tekawatha, for whom the main Parish is named

Martha and me and Fr. Dono, ST, in front of one of the mission altars. They really love the Saints and dress them up very colorfully.

Native made crucifix

We, as Catholics, should be very proud because our Church feeds, clothes, heals, educates and cares for more people than any other organization on the face of the earth. We do this because this is what Jesus asks us to do. The Church has many different charities that do this. On this Trinity Sunday, I would like to share with you about one charity that I have supported for over thirty years. They are Trinity Missions, also known as Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. They describe themselves; As apostles – our missionaries preach and live the word of God to bring hope, comfort, and relief to the suffering of the poor, the abandoned, and the most neglected by:

Spreading the Gospel;
Responding to the needs of the poor, isolated, marginalized, and those without hope; and
Guiding, forming, and ministering with lay missionaries in parishes, neighborhoods, and communities across the United States and Latin America.

I have firsthand knowledge that they really do this quite well, with very limited resources. Over thirty years ago, I read about the work that they do with Native Americans on reservations throughout the United States. Since I have some Native American blood in me, I became quite interested. We started donating to them and each month kept looking forward to the letters that we received from some of the Priest Missionaries that were on the reservations. These letters described all the work that they did, and all the work that they really hoped to get done. There was no doubt that they had a formidable task, but they learned to do as much as they could with what they had. Personally, I think that they do very well in serving the Lord in His poor.

In the early 80’s, I attended several Priests and Deacons Conferences at the Franciscan University in Steubenville Ohio. At one of these conferences, I was in a small discussion group with other priests, deacons, and bishops. We all introduced ourselves and where we were from. After the introductions, one of the Missionary Priests from Trinity Missions asked me if I were the Deacon Marty from Patchogue, New York. I told him that I was, and he told me that he had heard about what a great preacher I was. Now I was ordained only a few years them and I wondered how a missionary priest living on an Indian reservation out West could possibly have heard about me. It turns out that his parents lived in my parish and liked my sermons and had told him about me. This began a very good friendship with him. This last winter, my wife and I visited with him on his missionary post at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in South Tucson, Arizona. He and another priest and one brother serve seven local Indian reservation Parishes. All, but one, of the reservations are quite poor. The other is starting to come out of poverty due to a local Casino that they had opened up. It seems that the Lord can draw good out of gambling. We spent five days touring all seven reservations and spent time with the peoples and attended different liturgies there. It was a beautiful, loving, learning, faith filled experience. I was very impressed by the faith that these Native Americans had, thanks to the work of many missionaries.

We must not forget the mission that God gave to us; namely, to spread the Gospel and to care for His people. The Church does a wonderful job of this, but needs the help of all of its members. We have to personally do this in our own lives with the people that are around us. However, we cannot forget that the Church reaches out to all peoples and needs us to join in on its global missionary call by our financial support and by our prayers. On this Trinity Sunday, where we celebrate the Three in One, bound together by perfect love, let us remember that we are all one and called to be bound together in love. We certainly can do this by supporting our Church missions and charities through prayer and financial assistance. God bless.

Check out Trinity Missions at: http://www.trinitymissions.org

Goodness – Language of Evangelization by Patrick Sullivan

May 21, 2016Evangelism, Morality, Scripture, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

Church of the Beatitudes on the Sea of Galilee in the Holy Lands

What is goodness if not the human struggle to be like God? Not in some demonic usurpation or mutiny among men bent on overthrowing our most loving and benevolent Creator, but to actually try with all that we have to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect. To speak the way Jesus has spoken. To love who Jesus loves. To recognize Jesus in our day to day in order to be recognized by our Lord as we pass from this world to the next.

You know, before the new and everlasting covenant in Jesus Christ, it was the Torah (the Law) given to Moses that lifted humanity out of the mire and the inconsistencies of the pagan world; but today the law will no longer do.

To quote the law to someone with the aim of bringing them to God, whether the Mosaic or canonical, or even what the philosophers have called the natural law, seems to shut down rather than open up a dialogue on what we were all meant to be. We have to understand that to many, trying to teach goodness through the law is like teaching them that music is only as profound as the notes on the page; never to be played. To try to teach the ethic and not the ethos, it is like we have been trying to convince the world of a brilliant theatrical performance by showing them the program with its lovely cast of performers.

No, no, goodness is caught when it is found in a person and not a checklist. When it reveals rather than reflects.

What I mean is, if you are trying to evangelize a person, and all they can see is someone who is just as good as they are; just as generous; just as patient; just as forgiving; if it seems like you have checked off the same boxes as they have; you will not win them over in the least.

But if they look at you and rather than reflect their own level of moral achievements; you reveal a greater generosity; a greater patience; a greater willingness to forgive; in short if you show them real, concrete examples of one striving to be like God, what happens?

It poses a question. And while the question in their minds may take many forms, essentially what they want to know is this: why are you so good?

So, If you are evangelizing someone and their language is goodness, your job is a straightforward one. Stop quoting the law, and begin surpassing the day to day sacrifices and social programs of the unbeliever. Our God can do better, it’s time to show them.

Patrick Sullivan is a Catholic Lay Evangelist, author and speaker. He has written two books, Dare to Be an Evangelist and Four Monks Walk in to a Pub and has many you-tube videos. Check out his website at http://evango.net

What is the Big Deal about the Holy Spirit by Deacon Marty McIndoe

May 17, 2016Church, Holy Spirit, Life in the Spirit, Prayer, Scripture, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

The last four articles I posted were about the Holy Spirit and Pentecost. So many other bloggers have spent a great deal of time talking about the Holy Spirit at this time of Pentecost. There is good reason for that. Pentecost itself is a Feast of the Church that is of major importance (along with Easter and Christmas), and the day the Church celebrates as its “birthday”. Pentecost is all about the Holy Spirit coming down upon the Apostles, Mary and other disciples. It brought a dramatic change to them, and should also bring a dramatic change to us. St. Cyril of Alexandria (born 376), in his Commentary on John says, “The Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell; he so transforms them that they begin to live a completely new kind of life”. This was definitely seen in the lives of the disciples. How about your life? Has the Holy Spirit caused you to live a new life?

First and foremost I believe that the Holy Spirit EMPOWERS us to be the person that God has called us to be. Both the Scriptures and the Church have tried to put words to what the Spirit does. We hear about the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as well as the Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit. I would like to briefly take a look at these to help us all better understand the role of the Spirit in our lives. Jesus himself told us that it would be better for us for Him to leave so that the Holy Spirit would come to us. That tells us how important the Spirit should be in our lives. Frankly, we don’t always think about the Holy Spirit. It should be thought about and called upon in our normal living, not just at Pentecost.

All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us in Baptism and later strengthened and sealed in the Sacrament of Confirmation. The gifts are given to us to build us up as well as to build up the Church. The Church (and Isaiah 11: 1-2) tells us that there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgment (or Counsel), Courage (or Fortitude), Knowledge, Reverence (or Piety) and Wonder (or Awe). When we use these gifts, there is a definite change in our attitude and in our very being that manifests itself as the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures (Galatians 5: 22-23) and the Church tell us that these Fruits are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control, and Chastity. It is no coincidence that these Fruits are the very attributes of God himself. It only makes sense that as His children, we are like him.

In 1^st Corinthians 12: 1-11 we find listed the Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are sometimes referred to as the Charismatic Gifts. These gifts are given for the building up of the Church. St. Paul makes it very clear that there are a variety of Gifts that are given. He says that some Gifts are given to some people and not all receive or use the same Gifts. He makes it very clear though that all of the Gifts are given by the One Spirit for the building up of the One Church. Throughout the ages, these Spiritual Gifts have manifested themselves in various ways. You only need to read some of the lives of the Saints to see how these gifts have come forth in various times. In today’s Church, the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church has brought in a new emphasis on these gifts. St. Paul lists these Gifts as, Speaking in Tongues for private prayer (Romans 8:26), Tongues and Interpretation for the Community (1 Cor 14: 1-17), Prophecy (1 Cor 14:32), Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, Discerning of Spirits, Faith, Healing, and Miracles. For more information about these gifts, go to the National Catholic Charismatic website at http://www.nsc-chariscenter.org .

So how can we grow in our openness to the Holy Spirit and its Gifts? First of all, ask. It is so important that in our daily prayer life we ask to be open to the Spirit and the gifts It has to give us. Secondly, it is the Eucharist that can help us to be more open and to reflect the Fruits of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit. Receive the Eucharist as often as you can. Thirdly, study the scriptures. It is the Holy Spirit that inspired the scriptures. Start by looking up and praying those scriptures I have mentioned in the article. Fourth, read the lives of the Saints. They lived out a real openness to the Spirit and its Gifts. Fifth, put yourself in to a small community of believers that are also trying to grow in their relationship to the Lord and His Spirit. If you haven’t already done so, try attending a Catholic Charismatic Prayer meeting. I would suggest one associated with your Parish, or a nearby Parish. It might seem a little different to you at first, but try it out a few times to see the real source of growth that can be found there.

God’s Gift to us of His Holy Spirit is so very precious and so important to our spiritual growth. It gives us life and helps us to grow into the child of God that He wants us to be. God bless you in your journey.

One Mistake We Make When We Want to Make a Difference as Catholics by Shaun McAfee

April 25, 2016Church, Converts, Holy Spirit, Spirituality, Vocationdeacon.marty@gmail.com

Do you have Catholic heroes?

When I converted to the Catholic faith I was on fire to make a mark. Having been into blogging before I converted, my conversion gave me a deep zeal and the new information I had learned was quickly converted into content. But it ran out quickly. The more I wanted to be like my heroes, the more impossible that became, and the more frustrated I ended up.

Perhaps you didn’t notice, but there are many Catholics who are just crazy about Catholics. I mean it. I mean it like I mean I absolutely love thick cut, applewood smoked, crisp and greasy bacon. There’s a serious error many commit and I’m guilty of it, too. And I’m not talking about the bacon.

It all began when…

No, it didn’t ever really begin. It’s sort of ingrained into us. We have a problem with being innovators sometimes. We see something that entertains us, and we want to replicate it. We grow to look up to someone, and we want to be just like them. We create this picture in our mind of what a successful Catholic looks like, and we convince ourselves that we cannot be good Catholics or fulfil our purpose until we achieve X, Y, Z.

Imagine the pressure!

Imagine the pressure of the ambitious seeker who read Tim Staples just once, had to convert, converted and the whole nine yards, then felt the call to convert other souls—cause after all that’s what the Bible says we’re called to do—and got started. This person read every book, listened to Catholic Answers Live every day, and was determined to make their mark. Then, just a few months later, the blog this person started wasn’t getting traffic. There was an initial spike, but the ideas were running out, too. The zeal was not converting to numbers as quickly as his/her conscience had. Suddenly, it all seemed like a waste of time. How was this person ever going to replace Scott Hahn?

For real, that’s the idea some people create in their mind. Especially bloggers; but it happens to so many Catholics. The zeal sometimes creates tunnel vision for us, and we create one single lane that we must follow in order to feel like we’re making a difference.

It makes sense, really. But don’t fall into this trap! It’s terribly attractive to look at our Catholic heroes and want to be just like them. While it’s healthy to follow their example, it’s not healthy to narrow our vision on God’s will. Doing that only suffocates our openness to the Holy Spirit and deafens His voice.

I think the pressure people put on themselves when they gain their newfound zeal caused tunnel vision in many people. To avoid this, here’s a couple things to keep in mind:

First, you must focus on personal holiness before you step out and attempt to education and evangelize others. I’m not talking about being a hypocrite, because removing the log in your own eye is much more about clear vision than about hypocrisy. There are nine fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Interestingly, God chose the dove to represent the Holy Spirit, whose wings are made up of nine main feather stems. You must develop the fruits of the spirit in order to truly take fight.

Second, after developing your personal holiness and taking flight, you’re able to use the corresponding gifts of the Holy Spirit. But be conscious of the temptation of that tunnel vision. God has a unique plan for you. What would the world look like if we were all Scott Hahn? There would be a lot of Bible knowledge and handsome beards. No, seriously: remember that Martha’s revelation was understanding that there is something more important that impressing ourselves (and others) with our works. What really matters is how we spend our time with God. Mother Angelica didn’t get into the art of media until her later years. She was able to be so effective because she made priority of the Mary duties, then the Martha.

Third, be yourself. The world will tell you that you need to go out into the world and find yourself. But what you really need to do is find the One who already knows who you are. When you get to know God, whose depth of closeness and relationship is endless, you’ll really get to know who you are.

Hero worship can create a false sense of duty and achievement, contentment and virtue. There’s so many ways to be Catholic. It might not be apologetics or writing. It might be having a certain amount of children. It might be a degree you have to get or a teaching job you have to have. It could even be the priesthood or cloistered life. Whatever it is, don’t be over-eager. The only thing you need to be eager about is knowing and developing your relationship with the One who is eager about you. The rest falls into place.

Check out this article and others at Shaun’s home at the National Catholic Register – http://www.ncregister.com/blog/smcafee/

Conversion to the Bread of Life by Deacon Marty

April 15, 2016Apologetics, Church, Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Life in the Spirit, Liturgy, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

The Jewish Synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus gave his sermon on eating His Body and Drinking His Blood (John 6:52-59) in today’s Gospel.

I was sitting in mass this morning listening to the fascinating account of Paul’s conversion (Act 9: 1-20) and I thought of my own conversion story that happened about 44 years ago. I then proclaimed the Gospel where Jesus tells us that we MUST eat His flesh and drink His blood (John 6:52-59) to have LIFE within us. As I read that Gospel, thoughts of my own conversion became so very vivid. I would like to share some of those thoughts with you now. This is certainly a brief testimony; there are so many other details to it. Those are for another time.

I was raised as a Methodist and we celebrated “Communion Sunday” one time per month. We all received cut up squares of white bread and drank small, shot sized, glasses of grape juice. We were taught that we did this because Jesus wanted us to remember what He did at the last supper. I really didn’t think much about this, but liked “Communion Sunday” because the sermon was always shorter. I did drift away from that church, and from God, during my college years. I married a Catholic girl and would occasionally attend mass with her, but without much thought about the mass, I thought more about going out to breakfast afterwards. Many things happened that caused me to be in somewhat of a “funk”, and through a series of interesting events (miracles) my wife and I were invited to go to a Life in the Spirit Seminar. At the time, I wasn’t sure what made me say yes to going. Today I know that it was God’s Spirit that led me there. We attended the Seminar and things began changing, for the good, in my life and in my relationship to my wife. On the fifth week of the Seminar, we were prayed over for the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”. My life hasn’t been the same since. Everything seemed to take on new meaning. I was especially moved by the Bible and began reading it and praying with it at every possible chance. This new found relationship with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit brought new life to the scriptures for me. I was especially drawn to the Gospel of John. So many times in that Gospel, Jesus talks about being the Bread of Life. I read the Gospel mentioned above and thought that it was VERY clear that Jesus wanted us to do more than just remember the Last Supper. He very clearly told us that we must eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood. I found the same thoughts in other Gospels and in Paul’s letters. The only church that I knew that taught this was the Catholic Church. I am a person who has to research everything, so I began getting out Church documents such as Vatican II documents. As a person who also loves history, I also began reading early Church history and began to devour information on the early Church fathers. It was very clear to me that the Catholic Church in its beginnings and today followed Jesus in teaching what He taught. It was also very clear that what the Church taught today was essentially identical to what it lived out in its very beginning, from the time of the Apostles in to the later centuries. There was no doubt that Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper and wanted us to continue that, through the Church that He had established. I had found the source for my being able to do what Jesus taught, to eat His Body and drink His Blood. I went to my local pastor and He brought me in to an RCIA program and then brought me in to His Church. I am a daily communicant, and I fully believe that each day I eat His Body and drink His blood and have LIFE because of Jesus. God is so good.

Light the Fire by Patrick Sullivan

April 6, 2016Evangelism, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

The picture is from lighting the Easter Vigil Fire at St. Francis de Sales in Patchogue, NY

Well it is Monday…and it is cold in my house.

I assumed that with the winter almost over I would not need to maintain the wood furnace so much but waking up this morning it is now obvious that I was wrong.

So here I am sitting by the fire hopeful as I look at the coals and yet consistently disappointed that any flame that seems to appear is blown out the moment I turn my eye from it.

I have stuff to get the fire started, and I have been relying on it heavily, but now I am awake to the possibility that it might not be the right kind of kindle at all.

And the thought has struck me…

Isn’t this precisely what has been happening in the world of evangelization?

There are some who really do think that we are beyond the need to evangelize; that it had its place in something like the winter of the Church perhaps, but since Vatican II it has come and gone, and it is time to move on.

There are others who are constantly amazed that the fire is not ablaze already.

After all, they had already tended to that need; answered that person’s question; provided the parish program that would really knock them off their feet.

And some of us have learned the hard way that every soul is like a single coal just waiting for the right kindle.

Knowing that when you first see the flame that it was called to be, you cannot take your eyes from it assuming that it will break forth into some self sustaining heat.

No, you must constantly feed it, encouraging where you can; providing it with all the oxygen of God that you can convey.

So today, while you tend to the soul our God has called you to, remember that soul will ‘light’ if you find the right fuel; and it will burst into flame over time IF you don’t forget about it.

Have a great day, friends.

in Christ,

Patrick

Patrick Sullivan is a lay Catholic Evangelist, Author and Speaker.

So far, this has meant YouTube videos on various topics from a Christian perspective, speaking at many parish, conference, school and other events, as well as the completion of two books.

The first book was written to meet the needs and challenges of teachers and their students who want to clearly distinguish the Christian Faith from any other (Four Monks Walk into a Pub). And the second book was written to assist all of the faithful Christians out there who want a real plan of action for how to evangelize (Dare to Be an Evangelist).

check out his web page at: http://www.evango.net

The Magic Piano by A.J. Avila

March 22, 2016Prayer, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

There’s an old black-and-white sitcom on television called Make Room for Daddy, sometimes entitled The Danny Thomas Show. It’s one program I actually encouraged my children to watch. No violence. No sexual situations. Definitely family fare.

[SIDENOTE: If you’re unfamiliar with Danny Thomas, he’s the guy who founded St. Jude’s Hospital for Children. He wasn’t making it as an entertainer and one day upon entering a Catholic church saw a statue of St. Jude, the patron of lost causes. He prayed to St. Jude and promised that if he ever made it as a performer, he’d build a shrine to the saint. The hospital is the promised shrine.]

On the show, Mr. Thomas portrays a nightclub singer. In his living room at home, he’s got a baby grand he often uses for rehearsal.

I call it a Magic Piano. That’s because when Mr. Thomas plays it, all of a sudden we hear an invisible violin. Then some woodwinds and percussions join in. Next thing you know, you’re hearing an entire orchestra.

Boy, he sure gets a lot of music out of that piano!

I need something kind of like a magic piano when I’m praying. Now, I don’t mean there’s any magic involved in praying. No, no. Praying is supernatural, not magical.

What I mean is that my praying is so poor that in order for it to be worth something, it needs some accompaniment. A lot of accompaniment, in fact.

Fortunately, such help does exist. It’s called the Holy Spirit.

As St. Paul tells us, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

So, to use an analogy, when my praying is as bad as “Chopsticks” on a piano that’s horribly out of tune, the Holy Spirit intercedes and turns my pathetic music into a beautiful concerto.

Now, I’m sure this doesn’t mean I’m supposed to slack off and not put any effort into praying. I’m sure it doesn’t mean I’m supposed to just kick back and let the Holy Spirit do it all.

But it’s gratifying to know that no matter how poor my praying is, if I’m making the effort to do as well as I can, what starts out as a tinny, tuneless prayer becomes majestic when it reaches the throne of God.

Find A.J. Avila at Reflections on My Catholic Journey – https://reflections911.wordpress.com/author/ajavilanovels/

A.J. Avila lives in San Bernardino with her husband. She is the author of three Christian novels: Rain from Heaven, Nearer the Dawn, and Amaranth, which are available on Amazon Kindle with all net profits going to charity. (You can learn a bit about those by reading the synopses on Amazon.)

Love Story by Matt Vander Vennet

March 21, 2016Marriage, Prayer, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

God is very much still active in the world today. To help illustrate that fact, I’d like to share a personal story. It’s a love story. One of the best, in my opinion. Course, I’m biased.

“We can’t do this. It’s not right for either of us.”

So were the words I spoke to a former girlfriend and fiancé. At that point, I had been wrestling and praying about this decision to get married to her or not. We were a little over two months out and I couldn’t bear to go another minute realizing that this was not the path that either of us were called to. Once we discussed it, and after shedding many tears, we both realized that it was the right choice. The Lord was working and had a plan; I just had to make sure I was open to his promptings.

About 6 years ago, as I type, I realized that I loved Liz. I tried to check it. I tried to be objective about it. Alas, it was to no avail. At this time, as I explained above, I was praying a lot. I went to adoration during lunch time at our tiny Newman center and prostrated myself before the Lord. It was so peaceful. I would set an alarm so that I would wake up when lunch was over. I could have spent the entire day there. While I was praying about my situation, I was including how I should be taking these feelings. I was in another relationship for goodness sake! This was not supposed to be happening. But God had different plans. I submitted that God knew better than I did at this point.

Remember, I had just ended my previous relationship and didn’t want to jump into anything too soon. We were just friends. Really. But, God had different plans.

I had known Liz for about 3 years prior to her internship. We’d met when I was a senior and she was a freshman. Part of the reason she was so cool was that she was Catholic and she loved her faith. That alone made her attractive as a person. Luckily, that was only one of the things that made her attractive, in addition to everything else. We got to know each other through the Newman center on campus. For such a small school as Eureka College, to have a Newman center was a miracle in and of itself. We were able to come to know each other as friends first because each one of us was dating other people. There were no expectations. When I graduated, I immediately began work for my alma mater as an admissions counselor. I was able to stay involved with the Newman center as a staff advisor. Again, God was at work. These were formative years for Liz and I and we didn’t even know it at the time.

In late May 2010, I said a temporary goodbye to a good friend and someone who I really respected as a person. This moment was to be the start of a truly amazing (and ongoing) love story. Liz was going to intern at the Kansas City zoo for the summer since she planned on becoming a veterinarian. We promised we would keep in touch. We ended up writing to each other daily. I would always look forward to reading and composing the night’s e-mail. Luckily, we still have them to look back upon.

During the e-mail exchange, I would joke around with her about coming to visit if she made fun of my age just one more time. (We’re only two years apart, by the way.) She did and I planned a visit. Then I went. I said a rosary as I departed and I’m pretty certain that I sang the entire way there. I barely had a voice by the time I got to KC. Of course, at this point, I had realized that if we started dating, this was it. I was going to marry this girl. Finally, I was starting to see His plans.

It rained the first night there and we tossed around a football, splashing as we went around the condos where she was being hosted. I’ll admit (and she will too) that I wanted to kiss her then and there. However, I didn’t want to show my hand just yet. I didn’t want to give my heart to her just yet, even though I was pretty sure she felt the same way. I also didn’t want to lose a friendship if it was not supposed to be the way I wanted it to be.

We had fun during her off days from the zoo and I played a song on my guitar that I had written (for her, she just didn’t know it yet). We sat on a rooftop and watched the sun go down. I still hadn’t put my heart on the line yet. It was coming. God was making it just right.

By the third day, I finally got enough gumption and I said we should go out to my truck and listen to some Frank Sinatra on a mix tape I made. I’m old school like that. During the song “You Make Me Feel So Young” I said a little prayer and grabbed her pinky with my pinky. Then she moved her fingers into mine and we interlocked our hands. It was complete. We were meant to be. You know how I know? The first thing she did after she turned her head was ask, “Did you pray about this?” I laughed and said that I had. I completed a novena and everything. She had as well. Everything finally made sense.

From that point on, as they say, it was history. We started dating that day, still discerning, but this time about our potential marriage. I asked for her hand a little over a year later and we were married the following July. Now we have a beautiful daughter, born just this past January. We couldn’t be more blessed. Yes, yes we can because “The Best Is Yet To Come.”

At every point, God has been directing us and our lives. Through the hard breakups, to the points where we were discerning different paths and then discerning each other, to our marriage, and now in our current situation, God has been with us every step of the way. Sometimes it’s hard for us to come to grip the fact that our God is at work daily. It’s hard to trust some days, but then I look back on everything that has happened in my life and realize how amazing He has been to me. Truly He loves me. Doesn’t He deserve our love back? He wants to be in our lives, if we only let Him and if we are disposing ourselves to receive His messages. The Church is a good help for that. God wants to give you the best; He desires it because He loves us. His power is manifest everyday throughout the world and in our everyday lives. We just have to make sure we take the time to realize and see it.

If anyone is interested in the overly detailed love story of my wife and I, let me know. It’s better than a fairy tale.

Matt Vander Vennet currently works as a research assistant and is pursuing his doctorate in Church History both at The Catholic University of America. He also writes for EpicPew.com. He is married to a beautiful redhead named Liz and is daddy to their newborn daughter! He loves a good brew, good music, the Green Bay Packers, & also plays guitar. Feel free to check out his website below. Matt resides in northeastern Virginia with his family.

http://mattvandervennet.bandcamp.com

The Day I Discovered the Greatest and Deepest Truth by Fr. Richard Heilman

March 21, 2016Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Liturgy, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

It was on February 2, 1998, that I had the experience of a lifetime, in more ways than one. It was a Papal Mass with Pope John Paul II, on the Feast of the Presentation. I was studying in Rome for three months, at the time. The priests studying received a beautiful engraved invitation, and we were thrilled to be going. We were told that we should go two hours ahead of time, if we hoped for a good seat. I joked that I don’t go that early for anything, even for the pope.

We arrived about 30 minutes before Mass, and they were right … there was no hope for a seat, and we were destined to stand in the back. With five minutes to go, an usher looked over at me and a priest friend. Now realize, there were 100s of priests there. He signaled for us to come over to him. He proceeded to take us up the aisle. He kept going and going and going, until we got to the two front rows reserved for Bishops and Cardinals … the only rows with velvet kneelers. He motioned for us to sit there. To this day, I have no clue why he singled us out amongst the 100s of priests in attendance.

There we were in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (see photo above), about to pray with the Vicar of Christ. As Mass began, glorious “sacred” music filled the Basilica … and my soul. Of course, being a Papal Mass, there was great attention given to precision, which struck me as “beautiful order.” But, it was more than that. While I had always loved the Mass, I felt, maybe for the first time, that we were truly “glorifying” God. On that day, February 2, 1998, I was truly changed.

I began to ask myself, “What have I been doing?” I had spent the first ten years of my priesthood buying into the common notion that, if we create all kinds of trendy nuances to the Mass, while we kept the Mass as whimsical and entertaining as possible, people would hear about how “cool” and “fun” and “with the times” we were, and come running. We were treating the Mass as a commodity that we needed to somehow market to the world. Worse than anything, I realized we were all but throwing out any sense of divinity; any sense of the supernatural. Where, in all of this, was any sense of awe and wonder in God’s presence? Where was the sense of God’s majesty?

Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.” Where was that in my “night club act” or “Broadway musical” Masses??

I’ve come to understand that we have (actually, I believe this is the work of the devil), by and large, removed the very gateway into the Divine Life. I happen to agree with Pope St. Gregory the Great who, wanting to capture the spiritual dynamism of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, posited the following order:

“Through the fear of the Lord, we rise to piety, from piety then to knowledge, from knowledge we derive strength, from strength counsel, with counsel we move toward understanding, and with intelligence toward wisdom and thus, by the sevenfold grace of the Spirit, there opens to us at the end of the ascent the entrance to the life of Heaven” (“Homiliae in Hiezechihelem Prophetam,” II 7,7).

As you can see, the entry point is “Fear of the Lord.”

What is Fear of the Lord? According to Fr. John Hardon, Fear of the Lord …

“… inspires a person with profound respect for the majesty of God. Its corresponding effects are protection from sin through dread of offending the Lord, and a strong confidence in the power of His help. The fear of the Lord is not servile but filial. It is based on the selfless love of God, whom it shrinks from offending. Whereas in servile fear the evil dreaded is punishment; in filial fear it is the fear of doing anything contrary to the will of God. The gift of fear comprises three principal elements: a vivid sense of God’s greatness, a lively sorrow for the least faults committed, and a vigilant care in avoiding occasions of sin. It is expressed in prayer of the Psalmist, ‘My whole being trembles before you, your ruling fills me with fear’” (Ps 119:120).

St. Francis de Sales said, “We must fear God out of love, not love him out of fear.” In other words, Fear of the Lord is a fear of ever offending the One we love so much; the One in which we have totally dedicated and devoted our lives; the One Who fills us with awe and wonder in His presence. Fear of the Lord is the entry point; this is the trigger that ignites all of the other gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Without this “trigger,” we are prone to reduce our faith/religion to merely another organization that has a sense of social responsibility. Jesus is then reduced to an historic figure to emulate. Mass is just a social gathering that many may say (without saying), “it had better have good entertainment if you are going to make me endure this for an hour.” Again, all of the supernatural is stripped out and the belief in miracles and the power of supernatural grace is mocked as the ignorance of our ancestors.

So, we can see why Satan is winning. He is in the supernatural realm using supernatural weapons, while we have surrendered ours.

Fr. John Hardon wrote:

“St. Thomas Aquinas believed that man is more than a composite of body and soul, that his is nothing less than elevated to a supernatural order which participates, as far as a creature can, in the very nature of God. Accordingly, a person in the state of grace, or divine friendship, possesses certain enduring powers, the infused virtues and gifts, that raise him to an orbit of existence as far above nature as heaven is above earth, and that give him abilities of thought and operation that are literally born, not of the will of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

However, as I said, we have surrendered our supernatural strength and supernatural weapons. We seem to be choosing, instead, a secular (anti-supernatural) version of religion. Of course outsiders can then accuse us of having a man-made religion … because we are treating it as such.

I am *absolutely convinced* that admittance back to the Divine Life is a movement of monthly Holy Hours, with Confession.

Imagine a man going to church on Sunday in – what is very common – his jeans, tee shirt (recreation attire) and, at Communion, walks up and mindlessly grabs the Host like a potato chip, and then sits in his pew, looking at his watch, wondering if he will be back home for NFL kick-off.

Now, imagine that same man attending, for the first time, a Holy Hour with other men later that week. He sees a beautiful procession and swirls of incense and all around him are other men on their knees before a beautiful golden monstrance containing our Eucharistic Lord. Noble knights, kneeling before their king. And lines of men waiting to purify (detoxify) their soul in the Sacrament of Confession … given new life as they are filled with the supernatural grace – the power – of God.

How will that man approach Mass the following Sunday? He will have, very likely, received the “trigger gift” of the Holy Spirit … the gift of Fear of the Lord … awe and wonder and love and dedication and devotion … all “opening him” to all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

WE NEED A MOVEMENT OF MONTHLY HOLY HOURS WITH CONFESSION.

If my words are not convincing, watch this short video:

https://youtu.be/ucZBBUaOHYQ

Here’s an interesting addendum. Last Fall, I was getting ready to speak to a men’s group. I planned to tell the story of my conversion at the Papal Mass on the Feast of the Presentation, February 2, 1998. I figured they were all Green Bay Packer fans, so I thought it would be fun to show them the Packer stock certificate I received that same year. It was then that I looked closely at the date on the stock certificate. Look for yourself. It wasn’t just the same year, but …. WOW!!!!

http://www.romancatholicman.com

Very Rev. Richard M. Heilman was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Madison on May 17, 1988. Father Heilman is the Wisconsin State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. Father Heilman is the Vicar Forane for the West Dane Vicariate. He has been a Fourth Degree Knight for more than 20 years, and he is the chaplain of two Knights of Columbus councils.

Since 2004, Father Heilman has served as pastor of two parishes, St. Michael the Archangel parish, with locations at St. Ignatius in Mt. Horeb and Holy Redeemer in Perry, and St. Mary’s in Pine Bluff. Father Heilman served as pastor from 1998-2004 at St. John the Baptist in Montello. He served as associate pastor at St. Henry’s in Watertown from 1994-1998. He was associate pastor at St. John Vianney in Janesville from 1991-1994. He was the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Madison from 1989-1991. His first priestly assignment was at Our Lady of the Assumption in Beloit for one year in 1988-89, prior to being named Vocations Director.

Father Heilman is currently the Wisconsin State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. Father Heilman founded an apostolate for men’s faith formation called the Knights of Divine Mercy. Having focused his seminarian studies on spiritual direction, Father Heilman recognized a great need, early in his priesthood, to assist men in their roles as devout Catholic husbands and fathers. He is the author of the Church Militant Field Manual. He has also authored four other books, calling men to ”Special Forces Training for the Life of Christ.” He has been a guest host on Relevant Radio’s “The Inner Life” for the past ten years. He is also the author of a faith formation website for men called, RomanCatholicMan.com, and leads a podcast for men called, “God Strong.” He is a leader, with Cardinal Burke, of the Catholic men’s movement, “The Holy League.” He is the creator of the “Combat Rosary,” based on the original WWI military issue rosary. Father Heilman is an avid user of new media for faith formation. He is also the founder of the Ladies of Divine Mercy, which is an apostolate for Catholic women’s faith formation. He is the chaplain for the Holy Family Homeschoolers. He is also very involved in pro-life activities as the chaplain for Vigil for Life and the Women’s Care Center.

Father Heilman is a native of Madison, WI. Born to Walter and June Heilman (both deceased) on June 24, 1958 (birthdate of St. John the Baptist), he is the third of seven children. Father’s family helped begin St. Maria Goretti parish, and he attended SMG for grade school. He went on to Edgewood High School, and was an All-State football player. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Loras College. He earned his Masters of Divinity and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

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7 Things To Know That Will Change Your Next Mass Experience by Matt Nelson

March 20, 2016Church, Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Liturgy, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

“Take, eat; this IS my body.” Mt 26:26
I believe that we live in an age where fallen-away Catholics don’t really know what they’ve left, non-Catholics don’t really know what they’re missing, and many Catholics don’t really know what they’ve got. They don’t really know the Mass.
The Mass is the climactic form of Christian worship and within it is contained the greatest miracle on earth. It is a mystery in the fullest sense, and yet, it is comprehensible. As Christians we possess faith, but do we possess understanding? Do we even seek it? I know personally that my understanding of the Mass and what happens during it is inexcusably deficient, mostly from neglect. But I (and you) can change this — and it begins here.
I want to help change your next Mass experience, by the grace of God. So I’ve compiled a list of 7 interesting facts about the Mass, each with a brief explanation. I hope you learn something new!

1. The Mark of the Christian
The Sign of the Cross that marks the beginning and end of the Holy Mass, and which signifies the sealing of the Word of God “in our minds, on our lips and in our hearts” at the reading of the Gospel, has its origin in the first centuries of Christianity.
Tertullian wrote in the mid-3rd century:
“In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross” (De corona, 30).
The sign of the cross, done by faith, has immense power. St. Benedict once did the sign of the cross over a poisoned drink meant to kill him, and as his hand moved reverently through the four directions of the cross, the glass shattered. What would have happened if he had been insincere, or worse, not blessed his food and drink at all with the sacred sign? God only knows.
Each sign of the cross is also a sign —a renewal even — of one’s personal decision to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. How many times have we gone through the “motion of the cross” instead of the “sign of the cross”?

2. “And With Your Spirit”
When the Christian people respond “and with your spirit” to the priest’s greeting (“The Lord be with you”) in the Holy Mass, it is not just a polite (and somewhat odd) response. It is a profession of faith in the power of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. It recognizes the unique action of the Holy Spirit in the ordained priest, particularly in the Sacraments. Remember, for example, it is not the priest who changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ — it is Jesus Christ. Thus, the priest receives the power to serve as a special instrument of the Holy Spirit at his ordination; that is, when he receives the Sacrament of Holy Orders through the “laying on of hands” (see 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6).
Here’s what the 4th century bishop, St. John Crysostom,wrote about these words and their meaning:
“If the Holy Spirit were not in this your common father and teacher, you would not, just now, when he ascended this holy chair and wished you all peace, have cried out with one accord, ‘And with your spirit.’
Thus you cry out to him, not only when he ascends his throne and when he speaks to you and prays for you, but also when he stands at this holy altar to offer the sacrifice. He does not touch that which lies on the altar before wishing you the grace of our Lord, and before you have replied to him, ‘And with your spirit.’
By this cry, you are reminded that he who stands at the altar does nothing, and that the gifts that repose there are not the merits of a man; but that the grace of the Holy Spirit is present and, descending on all, accomplishes this mysterious sacrifice. We indeed see a man, but it is God who acts through him. Nothing human takes place at this holy altar.”

3. Kiss of the Priest
The priest kisses the altar in veneration, recognizing it as the sacred place where Christ’s once and for all sacrifice will be made present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus’s death is re-presented in the Holy Mass as a celebration of the New Covenant Passover, just as the Old Covenant Passover was made present each year it was celebrated (see Ex 12:27). St. Paul contrasts the Eucharistic sacrifice to the pagan sacrifice in 1 Cor 11. Jesus is therefore not re-sacrificed at each Mass but rather, His one sacrifice becomes present to us as He is eternally presenting Himself to God as the sacrificial Lamb of God (Heb 7:25; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Cor 11:26; Rev 5:6).
Around 70 A.D. Church leaders wrote this about the Eucharistic sacrifice (the Mass):
“Assemble on the Lord’s day, and break bread and offer the Eucharist; but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one. Anyone who has a difference with his fellow is not to take part with you until he has been reconciled, so as to avoid any profanation of your sacrifice [Matt. 5:23–24]. For this is the offering of which the Lord has said, ‘Everywhere and always bring me a sacrifice that is undefiled, for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is the wonder of nations’ [Mal. 1:11, 14]” (Didache 14 [A.D. 70]).

4. What’s Inside the Altar?
Did you know that many Catholic altars have a relic placed inside?
Father Carlos Martins, CC, of Treasures of the Church describes relics in this way:
Relics are physical objects that have a direct association with the saints or with Our Lord. They are usually broken down into three classes. First class relics are the body or fragments of the body of a saint, such as pieces of bone or flesh. Second class relics are something that a saint personally owned, such as a shirt or book (or fragments of those items). Third class relics are those items that a saint touched or that have been touched to a first, second, or another third class relic of a saint.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 302, contains the following statement:
“The practice of placing relics of Saints, even those not Martyrs, under the altar to be dedicated is fittingly retained. Care should be taken, however, to ensure the authenticity of such relics.”

The bones of St. Polycarp of Smyrna (a disciple of John the beloved apostle) were venerated in the early Church, for example:
“We took up his bones, which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place, where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy and to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom” (The Martyrdom of Polycarp [A.D 156])
For more, I also discuss relics in this recent article.

5. Cross or Crucifix?
A cross with a figure of Christ crucified must be present on or near the altar. This is mandated by the Church. A bare cross or a cross with Jesus depicted in a non-crucified way (like the modern “resurrected” Christ portrayal which has become more common) does not meet this requirement. Like St. Paul in his first letter to the Church in Corinth, we preach Christ crucified as an ultimate sign of God’s love for us and the salvation won for us through His crucifixion:
“we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23; see also 2:2)
The crucifix, properly understood, is not an image of a mere gory execution; rather, it is a sign of the once for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God (1 Cor 5:7).
The General Instruction for the Roman Missal states:
There is also to be a cross, with the figure of Christ crucified upon it, either on the altar or near it, where it is clearly visible to the assembled congregation. It is appropriate that such a cross, which calls to mind for the faithful the saving Passion of the Lord, remain near the altar even outside of liturgical celebrations (GIRM 308).

6. Sit, Stand, Kneel and Bow
A genuflection before the Jesus in the tabernacle is not meant to be a purely physical action. It requires a simultaneous “bow of the heart.”
The venerable practice of genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament, whether enclosed in the tabernacle or publicly exposed, as a sign of adoration, is to be maintained. This act requires that it be performed in a recollected way. In order that the heart may bow before God in profound reverence, the genuflection must be neither hurried nor careless (Inaestimabile Donum 26).
Some people may wonder what’s up with Catholics and all the bowing, standing, sitting, kneeling that they do in the Mass. It’s a good and honest question. Catholics assume these gestures because of who and what they are encountering in the Mass — the King of Kings and His Word. In the case of veneration with the body, the body leads the heart.
Consider these words from C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters:
“At the very least, they can be persuaded that the bodily position makes no difference to their prayers; for they constantly forget, what you must always remember, that they are animals and that whatever their bodies do affects their souls” (Letter IV).
Our postures matter, especially in the Mass — the climax of Christian Worship. As King David writes in this beautiful Psalm:
“O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God…” (Psalm 95)

7. The Fraction Rite
After the consecration (when the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus) but before Communion, the priest breaks off a piece of his “big” host and adds it to the precious blood (which still maintains the physical properties of wine). This breaking and commingling of the broken piece of the Body with the Blood is rich in significance:
First, it is not a separating of Christ, as though a “part” of Christ is here and a “part” of Christ is there. In each molecule of the consecrated host, the resurrected Christ is totally and perfectly present in His infinite divine substance.
Second, this “breaking”, called the “Fraction Rite”, follows Christ’s breaking of bread at the Last Supper and is rich in biblical significance (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:42, 46; 1 Cor 10:16).
Third, the commingling of the broken fraction with the blood in the chalice symbolizes the reunification of Christ’s body and blood in his glorious resurrection.
Now here’s an interesting tidbit to end off this post:
Originally, this Fraction rite and commingling had another important significance. At each Mass, the priest would break off a piece of the host (as he does now) but then, that consecrated fraction would be sent to another celebration of the Eucharist at another location. There, the fraction sent from the parish “down the road” would be commingled with the blood of Christ. The fraction of the host from that Mass would then be sent off to another Mass, and so on. This ritual created a great sense of unity among the faithful in the Mass, and signified the continuity of the eucharistic sacrifice in the Church (Mal 1:11; 1 Cor 10:17). This practice was known as fermentum, but has fallen out of practice in modern times.
If you would like to read more about the specifics of the Mass I highly recommend Mass Revision by Jimmy Akin to get you started.
See you in the Eucharist!

Matt holds a B.Ed from the University of Regina and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, Canada. After a brush with religious skepticism as a young adult, he returned to the Catholic Church in 2010. He writes regularly at his blog, ReasonableCatholic.com, and contributes at WordOnFire.org and StrangeNotions.com. He and his wife, Amanda, live in Shaunavon, SK, with their two children.

http://www.reasonablecatholic.com

Filling the Mind with Everything Jesus by Laura Hensley

March 17, 2016Morality, Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

At the beginning of the school year in 2015, I found myself e-mailing my Director of Religious Education (DRE) several times asking to be enrolled in an online catechism class, and for her to cover the cost for a Bible study in our parish and a Bible study with my mom’s group. I told her I felt bad about asking, again, but figured the worst she could say was ‘no’ and I’d have to cover the cost myself, plus she told us in the beginning of the year they would cover the costs of studies for Catechist’s under an education fund. I also told her I wanted to fill my mind with “Everything Jesus”.

For me as a catechist, it is important to be able to clearly explain to the children what our faith is and why we believe what we believe. In addition, part of my job is catechizing to the parents who may not have studied the faith since they completed their religious education classes. My studies have helped me to defend the faith when asked questions and given me the resources to know where to go when I do not know the answer to questions. I am able to more clearly explain my position on political topics. Finally, in my personal life, I know better how to live according to God’s law and boundaries, not only to not break the 10 Commandments, but those things which Jesus has taught us to avoid, such as killing someone with hateful thoughts (Matthew 5:22) or committing adultery through lusting after another (Matthew 5:28).

Today, there is so much out there that we can fill our minds with, good and bad. It is important that we filter out the bad things that can draw us into temptation and lead us to sin, and stay close to God and living a life pleasing to Him. When going online, we must steer clear of sites which are filled with pornography or other evil. If we view these sites, it is easy to be drawn into to thinking “I’m just looking because who is it really hurting”. We must reflect upon how it will hurt our spouse or dating partner when caught, how it hurts the people involved who are being exploited for their body, or our sons and daughters who see celebrities posting immoral selfies and themselves fall into pornography if we don’t speak up against it. A good question we can ask ourselves is, “Would I be looking at this site or watching this movie if ____ (or Jesus) was standing behind me?” If this is a temptation, then cut it off by programming the Internet router to block out those sites, use Internet parental controls or only use a search engine which will block those sites from searches. We must instead look at sites, watch movies or TV shows that are wholesome and godly, and that do not exploit people for their bodies or promote immoral behavior.

While it is good for us to be informed about the evil around us by reading news articles or learning the arguments of those against the Church, we must make sure we do not become a participant in that evil. For example, we must avoid the hateful behavior or words that are often said to each other who support opposing political candidates. While we may respectfully disagree, we must do so in a Christ-like manner so that we are not drawn into hateful speech with another whom we may not even know. People are not always open to accepting Bible verses to argue hot topics, but making justified points as to why it is wrong to support a candidate who believes in such things as abortion, torture, and the death penalty in a way that promotes pro-life values is the best way to get the point across without being condemning of the person supporting such a candidate. Jesus did not argue by putting others down or outright dismissing them and sending them away. He instead pointed out hypocrisy in their words and actions (see Luke 14:10-17 for one example of many). If we are not good at this, learn how to be a better persuasive speaker or writer by joining groups who believe the same things we do first. There, we can read and participate in like-minded discussions, and learn properly how to discuss our Catholic beliefs in a way that isn’t so off-putting and quickly dismissed.

Finally, it is most important to really know the faith and what we are talking about before getting into arguments with others who may already have all of their arguments stacked against the faith. The best way to do this is by preparing ourselves by filling our minds with everything Jesus. By putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), we will be able to know where we stand with God and how to defend the faith when attacked. Start with a good Bible study, such as The Bible Timeline (Ascension Press) which teaches the entire salvation history from Genesis to Acts. To continue to learn more about the history of the Catholic Church, a great study which picks up from the Acts to modern day is Epic, A Journey through Church History (Ascension Press). There are also many great Bible studies which will focus on a single Gospel writer, a single prophet such as Moses, or saints like Mary. We can also learn more about modern day topics which will help us to reflect on the Church’s view, for example the Theology of the Body or the Catechism.

The more we fill our minds with “everything Jesus” the easier it will be to see sin and to avoid the temptations that lead us into sin. We also will be able to use these resources to voice our views with love and with the backing of God who helps us to plant the seeds so that others may see validity in our arguments. We must build our house upon the rock so that our arguments do not wash away, as the foolish who build their arguments upon the sand which washes away (based on Matthew 7:24-27).

God bless!

Laura Hensley

Laura Hensley is a freelance writer, web developer, and runs the blog, Catholic Upgrade (link below). She is a lifelong Catholic who teaches 2nd grade religious education, and has been studying the Bible for over 10 years. She has been married over 15 years and has 4 children with her husband.

http://www.catholicupgrade.net

Count Your Curses by Nicole DeMille

March 15, 2016Spiritualitydeacon.marty@gmail.com

To read the book of Lamentations or some of David’s Psalms, outsiders to Christianity could become very confused. After all, popular Christianity as disseminated in 2016 tells them that adherence to the teachings of Jesus assures the follower prosperity, popularity within a supportive community, and a constant sense of contentment. Many Christians feel a sense of responsibility to present an image to the secular world that is tantamount to good advertising. To that end, they share only positive Christian memes on social media and regale only tales of financial success and favor. The message seems to be: obey God and watch the blessings flow in. Is it true? Like most theological questions, the answer is no . . . and yes. In Bl. Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s book, Way to Happiness , he writes, “Pleasure is a by-product, not a goal. Happiness must be our bridesmaid, not our bride.” And therein the great holy man exposes the truth: we follow Christ for the prize of Christ, not for the prize of blessings. The graces come, and every Christian knows this, but often NOT in worldly wrapping paper. Some Catholics are so eager to participate in the New Evangelization, that they go overboard on the joy factor. Converts can fall into this trap with repeated “I used to be _______ but now I’m _____ “ narratives. Counting our blessings to non-Catholic friends really only proves one thing: we have good lives. That makes us in many cases indiscernible from scads of other folks of any faith living in any given land on planet Earth. What might be more effective is to count out our curses – to transform into someone open and vulnerable enough to bare our scars to those around us, to unbelievers, to pagans, to our separated brethren and to our fellow Catholics. The fact is I was a lot more liked as a Lutheran. I also suffer chronic medical problems, and I struggle with both PTSD and the cross of secondary infertility. Converting to Catholicism has not quite measured up to the divine vending machine sales point that you may have heard! But I can tell you that of all the events, decisions, and watershed moments in my life, that night when I received the Eucharist for the first time is the closest to Heaven I’ve ever come, and this Catholic wife and mother is never turning back. I’ve found Home, and truth. It’s not a giant Band-Aid, and it’s not the Powerball. But it is Jesus. If we can strive to do this, make this our testimony, if we can come before our brothers and sisters, warts and all, and say, in all sincerity, “ . . . and yet, I’m still so thankful, and yet, I wouldn’t choose any other life, any other faith, because THIS is the one true Church, established and protected by Christ ,” then perhaps the rock solid foundation of Catholicism will begin to shine like the city on the hill it is supposed to be, not a guarantee of temporal honors, but a reason to hope for Heavenly rewards.

Here’s my blog:

http://invisiblewoman3.blogspot.com/?m=0

Nicole DeMille is a convert and mom who writes about life, health, and grief from a Catholic perspective. She has been a guest on EWTN’s “The Journey Home” with Marcus Grodi.

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