Monday, November 26, 2018

Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied him. Since the beginning God was clear about not putting our trust in feeble men, even apostles or bishops, and thankfully proclaimed this part of the good news. The first Pope sinned horribly then repented. One of the twelve arrested him. Why in the world get side tracked for a moment by the behavior of bishops? I do not follow Jesus for them or for any man yet I accept the hierarchical structure instituted by Christ when he created the twelve as a means of governance. I see their successors in light of what Christ willed to reveal to us in the primordial sinfulness of the Church and the deeper mystery of Mercy working through it all. The good news is that in the face of our infidelity God is He who is Faithful and True. Don’t get sidetracked, disturbed, or discouraged. I’ve worked with amazing bishops and horrible bishops on three different continents and probably 30 different diocese. Sure I rejoice when I encounter a courageous or wise bishop as I mourn when I meet a coward or careerist. Yet frankly I really honestly don’t waste any time thinking about them and if I do whatever good or ill I encounter only propels me to Jesus Christ. What do I think about? The immense and towering work of proclaiming the Gospel in season and out of season to every living person in this world, remembering that part of that proclamation is that despite man’s weaknesses God still saves us. God loves this sinful Church and calls us to holiness in the midst of all sin and darkness. Remember that. Remember that the next time you are tempted to add to the noise, the doubt, the fear, the rage, the enormous gaping black hole that wants to suck everything into its oblivion of meaningless suffering and loss. Please please please try to remember that in the end it is all about charity and a huge part of growth in charity is enduring the lack of charity even within the Church. Let us pray for greater holiness in the Church, for a clearer proclamation of the saving truth of the Gospel and let us pray again and again and again for our bishops. Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be


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Thursday, November 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving! Join us for Holy Mass at noon at Our Lady of Corpus Christi. God’s abundant blessings to you and your loved ones+


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THE MALE EGO Having a male ego, or sense of self and one’s capacities, is not evil. Appropriate hubris, or a certain magnanimity, is necessary to accomplish difficult things. A captain of a ship or plane, an athlete winning a match, a doctor saving a life, all need a very sense of their own personhood to do what must be done. Having a “male ego” is not evil if one uses it to provide, protect, guard, and guide people toward the common good. Jesus had a male ego with which he had plow through the depths of all human sinfulness to accomplish our redemption. Egotism, or a self-centered fixation on one’s self and capacities IS evil. It is a corruption of what masculinity and personhood’s certain dignity is for. Because it is a kind vile insecurity, a cowardice in being self-absorbed, a vain self-concern, it is rightly thought of as one of biggest problems of this world. Many people have been wounded by male egotism, and therefore react to try emasculate or demand the stripping of confidence and leadership in men. This particularly true for children of fathers who didn’t use their authority to build them up and love them into well adjusted happy grown ups. True humility does not negate a person’s ego, or magnanimous concern to make difficult goods happen. It sees one’s identity and mission as a gift from God to be given generously in service of others. It actually multiplies the fruitfulness of a well tuned male ego in communion, service, justice, and goodness for many people. False humility is the annihilation of any kind authority, leadership, or headship of men because of a fear of misusing that authority. Unfortunately there are few real men around to mentor other men in Christian manhood. Effeminacy, cloaked in “deference” or “toleration” or “humility” is the cause of great evils being permitted by a lack of good men standing up against it. Let us pray for real men and real leaders to heed the call to stand in the gap of where this world is and where it needs to go: the care of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society, the protection of a just order in society, and the battle against the evils that rage against human dignity and fairness.


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Saturday, November 3, 2018

As evening fades...


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Catechism of the Catholic Church 2143 Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. The gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. "The Lord's name is holy." For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.


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“Every man, particularly today, must come to a mature acceptance and understanding of what it means to be a man. This may seem obvious, but in our world, there are many distorted images and much evidence of confusion regarding what is true masculinity. “We can say that for the first time in history, people have become either so confused or so arrogant as to attempt to dictate their masculinity or femininity according to their own definitions. “At one striking moment of Jesus’ trial, Pontius Pilate, with all his worldly power, presented Jesus to the crowd with the words, Ecce homo – Latin meaning “Here is the man!” Thinking he was merely pointing to a man from Nazareth, he failed to recognize that he was pointing to God made man – the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth – who at once is fully God and fully man, and the perfection of masculinity. “Every moment of his life on earth is a revelation of the mystery of what it means to be man – that is, to be fully human and also, the model of masculinity.” -Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted to the Men of the Diocese of Phoenix


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Thursday, November 1, 2018

Priestly holiness is summed up in the words that most define a priest of Jesus Christ, “This is My Body, which will be given up for you” because a priest offers himself in union with Christ. He says the words not only in persona Christi but also in propria persona sua, i.e. on behalf of his own person and his own joining of the sacrifice of his own life to life of Christ. This is my body and all, soul and humanity, offered in union with the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist. This is my body. This is my life. This is my time and energy, my attention and reverence for each person that comes across my path, recognizing my sole purpose is to bring you to God and bring God to you. A great Saint of our times, St Mother Teresa of Calcutta, said of priestly holiness: “it’s a duty for a priest to be holy because he comes in such close contact with Jesus. How holy his words must be, how holy his life must be, how holy his touch must be, if he has to be that living sacrifice on the altar.” On this All Saints Day, let us pause and pray that God raise up for the Church holy priests. Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...


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A Saint is a sinner who keeps trying. -St Josemaria EscrivĆ”


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