Podcasts about annual catholic appeal

Fr. Beltran introduces Cardinal Cupich's homily for the Annual Catholic Appeal on 2/23/25. Worship Aid: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022325.cfm To donate please visit: www.annualcatholicappeal.com

In this week's action-packed edition of the 23 Podcast, Fr. Jeff and Parker spend time debriefing on this year's Grammy Awards, along with Parker asking for Father's Super Bowl pick for this weekend (“Swifties", which includes Parker - at least according to Father, won't like it.) In addition, the kickoff to the 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal is mentioned, along with other Parish announcements. As always, the pair conclude the episode by reading and unpacking this weekend's Gospel reading.

Fr. Emanuel introduces Cardinal Cupich's homily for the Annual Catholic Appeal on 2/11/24. Worship Aid: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021124.cfm To donate please visit: www.annualcatholicappeal.com

Published: June 10, 2021 How have diocesan appeals changed since the start of the pandemic, and how will diocesan professionals continue to adjust their strategies in 2021/22? Join Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend as he hosts a panel of top-notch experts who discuss the evolving landscape of Diocesan Appeals. Today's guests include Brian Niebrugge, Executive Director of Stewardship and the Annual Catholic Appeal at Archdiocese of St. Louis; Marta Sweeney, Vice President, Chief Community Service Officer at The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida; Lisa Wentz, Director of Charity and Development Appeal at Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and Tom Smith, Director of Development Diocese of Metuchen. Watch the video presentation of this discussion https://youtu.be/nKvVhs7aNiY Don't miss Changing Our World's FORGING FORWARDDon't miss the webinar series FORGING FORWARD, a virtual philanthropic conference designed to bring you nonprofit experts from around the country who are leading through the COVID-19 crisis. Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin's Crosses” Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin's Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today's Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin's Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

How can you support the Archdiocese of Portland Annual Catholic Appeal? Alex Nelson, Development Stewardship and Development Officer, joins The Morning Blend team in-studio to tell us more.More information can be found on the Archdiocese of Portland's webpage.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Fr. Emanuel introduces Cardinal Cupich's homily for the Annual Catholic Appeal on 2/12/23. Worship Aid: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021223.cfm To donate please visit: www.annualcatholicappeal.com

Fr. Trout introduces Cardinal Cupich's homily for the Annual Catholic Appeal on 2/20/22. Worship Aid: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022022.cfm To donate please visit: www.annualcatholicappeal.com

Catholic Chicago looks at the spiritual and theological foundations for the Annual Catholic Appeal. The Voice of Charity explores ways to remove barriers to health equity in Lake County. The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers are featured on Catholic Chicago. And time is spent on Mental Illness Awareness.

Host: Mark Teresi. The Annual Catholic Appeal begins the weekend of January 30/31, 2021. Our guests this hour discuss the spritual, theological foundation, and history of the Appeal. The beneficiaries of the Appeal and ways to make a gift are also discussed. Guests: Brendan Keating; Fr. Lou Cameli; Barbara Shea Collins; Fr. Wayne Watts; Elizabeth Anastasia

Holy Name Cathedral Rector Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Catholic Schools superintendent Dr. Jim Rigg discuss the upcoming Annual African American heritage prayer service with Shaka Rawls, Dr. Denise Spells and Felicia Horton. Fr. Greg and Dr. Jim also talk to a nationally recognized teacher from St. Hilary School. Voice of Charity co-hosts Marie Jochum and Michael Bare welcome Debra Davis and Toyia Baker into the studio to discuss clothing programs at Catholic Charities. Clarissa Aljentera sits down with Todd Williamson and Wendy Silhavey to discuss the spiritual journey of RCIA catechumens during Lent. Fr. Greg and Mark Teresi wrap up the broadcast week with the importance of archives in the parishes, and the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal.

Episode 23 - MarygroveRose Crofford, Chief Operating OfficerKelly Peplinski, Director of Intensive NeedsMike Baer, Director of Transitional and Independent Living 2705 Mullanphy LaneFlorissant, MO 63031 (314)837-1702www.marygrovechildren.org Marygrove has a rich history of more than 165 years caring for children, teens and young adults, offering a safe and healing environment for its residents. The children and adolescents who are placed at Marygrove have often been through multiple, failed placements in other residential facilities or foster homes. Many come from abusive, violent and severely disruptive family situations; some come from failed adoptions; and, in a few instances, children are discharged from psychiatric hospitals directly to Marygrove. Most of the residents are diagnosed with behavioral and psychiatric disorders as a result of abuse and neglect. Without Marygrove’s services, these children and adolescents would face a future living in a much more restrictive environment. The children and young Marygrove Arial revised adults at Marygrove live and grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, and they have an opportunity to heal in a stable, family-like setting. Professional caregivers provide structure while therapists provide an individualized treatment program and counseling to help each child overcome personal obstacles and establish responsible, attainable goals for the short and long-term future. Marygrove is one of the largest therapeutic residential treatment programs in Missouri and is a new beginning for the 200 children and young adults served each day. Many arrive at Marygrove’s doors with immediate needs that include clean clothes, food and medical treatment. They receive all these things in addition to a safe haven and the nurturing and care of round-the-clock staff and therapeutic treatment from licensed, Masters-level therapists. Today, through its broad spectrum of residential and community-based programming, including therapeutic residential treatment and foster care, transitional and independent living programs, crisis care, education and recreational therapy, family counseling, parenting education and mentoring Marygrove enriches the lives of over 1,000 young people each year. As part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis we participate in the Annual Catholic Appeal.

The week of love is upon us. As you know, this week we have St. Valentine's Day as well as World Marriage Day. If ever there was a perfect time for a message of love, this week is it. So for this week of love, what does the Church give its preachers to work with? ... Two readings about leprosy ... Apparently, nothing says "I love you" quite like leprosy. The truth is, in today’s Gospel reading about the man with leprosy, we can discover a great message of love: Jesus fully knows us and fully loves us. This is the deepest desire of our hearts, to be fully known and fully loved. Like Jesus, I have a sweet spot in my heart for the man with leprosy. He’s someone I can identify with. You see, in my family when we gather for prayers at bedtime, all the kids cuddle with my wife, Julie, on her side of the bed, since she is the cuddly one, and I am left all by my lonesome on my side of the bed. Sometimes they jokingly say it looks like I am on leper island, because I am completely removed from where all the love is at. While this is a joke for my family and I, for the man in the Gospel, leprosy was no joking matter. For this man, leprosy was a death sentence. And while he waited for leprosy to bring him to his inevitable day of death, his daily life was like hell on earth. You see, now that he had leprosy, the rules he had to live his life by meant that everything he had built his life around was taken away. His nice clothes, hair and beard that had helped cover the sores from his leprosy were all taken away. He was taken away from his Jewish community of believers. He was taken away from the temple, the holy dwelling place of God. He was even taken away from the sanctuary of his own home. He was taken away from his hometown to go to the leper colony. He was taken away from his family. Even his ability to blend in amongst strangers was taken away as he now had to scream “unclean” to notify approaching strangers about his disease. Imagine how completely empty this man’s love tank must have felt. No one to spend time with as a companion, no one to give him a compliment, no one to give him a gift, no one to help care for him and no one to give him a loving touch. When everything that we’ve built our lives around has been taken away from us, the decision we face is pretty clear: to either let this situation tear us apart from God or to let this situation bring us closer to God. We must realize it is at this very moment when we feel empty inside that room has been freed up in our lives for Jesus to become the center of our lives. It is precisely when we feel like God has placed us on the sidelines of His life that it is most important for us to place Jesus at the center of our lives. Jesus wants each of us to build our lives around Him. This is exactly what the man with leprosy does. This man goes to Jesus, kneels in front of Him and in the bright darkness of faith, he says to Jesus, “if you wish, you can make me clean.” The next line in the Gospel is arguably the most understated line in the English translation of the Bible. It says Jesus was “moved with pity.” “Moved with pity.” It’s tempting to rush right past these three words to hurry up and get to the miracle. But if we want to understand Jesus and how he fully knows us and loves us, we should stop and spend some time at this place. To understand what an overwhelming experience of intimacy took place in this moment, we first need to take a step back to remember that the New Testament was not originally written in English, it was originally written in Greek. The original Greek word used here is splagchnizomai. The English language has no perfect translation for this word, so the word gets translated as “moved with pity,” which really misses the profoundly deep physical and emotional flavor of this word. When we hear that Jesus was “moved with pity,” it is saying that that Jesus saw into the heart of this man and that because of the pain Jesus saw in there, Jesus’ gut was wrenched, Jesus felt a deep powerful weeping inside, that in anguish His heart was torn open and the most vulnerable part of his being laid bare. The greatest lover who ever lived really knows what hurts this man and it shakes Jesus at the core of His very being, which is why Jesus stretches out His hand to touch, love, save and heal this man. This physical healing is only a hint of the compassion of Jesus for our wounded humanity. This compassion and love is something I have experienced first-hand. I stand before you today as a brother, Deacon and Dad who is grateful; grateful for all the times in my life when I needed love and healing and Jesus worked through others who got out of their comfort zone to reach out to let me feel Christ’s loving and healing touch. During a heart-wrenching break-up with my girlfriend in college, I remember calling my older brother and letting him know how empty and alone I felt and him dropping everything that was going on in his life to drive five hours to come and be with me for the weekend. Just his presence and companionship had a tremendous healing effect in letting me know I was fully known and fully loved. I stand before you as a Deacon today because unworthy as I felt pursuing Jesus’ call to become a Deacon, someone showed Christ’s love for me by giving a generous gift through their Annual Catholic Appeal donation to make my Deacon schooling affordable. I have no doubt that this person measured the generosity of their loving gift not by how much they gave, but by how much they had left over after they gave. And more recently, there’s been a change in our family’s nightly bedtime prayer routine. My sweet nine-year-old daughter, Journey, has started getting out of her comfort zone on the other side of the bed to come cuddle with her Dad during bedtime prayers. The message from the acts of each of these people is clear: Justin, you are fully known and fully loved. In a beautiful way, it is really Jesus who is speaking this message to each of us. So during this week of love, may we feel in the depths of our souls Jesus saying to each of us “you are fully known and fully loved.”

The week of love is upon us. As you know, this week we have St. Valentine's Day as well as World Marriage Day. If ever there was a perfect time for a message of love, this week is it. So for this week of love, what does the Church give its preachers to work with? ... Two readings about leprosy ... Apparently, nothing says "I love you" quite like leprosy. The truth is, in today’s Gospel reading about the man with leprosy, we can discover a great message of love: Jesus fully knows us and fully loves us. This is the deepest desire of our hearts, to be fully known and fully loved. Like Jesus, I have a sweet spot in my heart for the man with leprosy. He’s someone I can identify with. You see, in my family when we gather for prayers at bedtime, all the kids cuddle with my wife, Julie, on her side of the bed, since she is the cuddly one, and I am left all by my lonesome on my side of the bed. Sometimes they jokingly say it looks like I am on leper island, because I am completely removed from where all the love is at. While this is a joke for my family and I, for the man in the Gospel, leprosy was no joking matter. For this man, leprosy was a death sentence. And while he waited for leprosy to bring him to his inevitable day of death, his daily life was like hell on earth. You see, now that he had leprosy, the rules he had to live his life by meant that everything he had built his life around was taken away. His nice clothes, hair and beard that had helped cover the sores from his leprosy were all taken away. He was taken away from his Jewish community of believers. He was taken away from the temple, the holy dwelling place of God. He was even taken away from the sanctuary of his own home. He was taken away from his hometown to go to the leper colony. He was taken away from his family. Even his ability to blend in amongst strangers was taken away as he now had to scream “unclean” to notify approaching strangers about his disease. Imagine how completely empty this man’s love tank must have felt. No one to spend time with as a companion, no one to give him a compliment, no one to give him a gift, no one to help care for him and no one to give him a loving touch. When everything that we’ve built our lives around has been taken away from us, the decision we face is pretty clear: to either let this situation tear us apart from God or to let this situation bring us closer to God. We must realize it is at this very moment when we feel empty inside that room has been freed up in our lives for Jesus to become the center of our lives. It is precisely when we feel like God has placed us on the sidelines of His life that it is most important for us to place Jesus at the center of our lives. Jesus wants each of us to build our lives around Him. This is exactly what the man with leprosy does. This man goes to Jesus, kneels in front of Him and in the bright darkness of faith, he says to Jesus, “if you wish, you can make me clean.” The next line in the Gospel is arguably the most understated line in the English translation of the Bible. It says Jesus was “moved with pity.” “Moved with pity.” It’s tempting to rush right past these three words to hurry up and get to the miracle. But if we want to understand Jesus and how he fully knows us and loves us, we should stop and spend some time at this place. To understand what an overwhelming experience of intimacy took place in this moment, we first need to take a step back to remember that the New Testament was not originally written in English, it was originally written in Greek. The original Greek word used here is splagchnizomai. The English language has no perfect translation for this word, so the word gets translated as “moved with pity,” which really misses the profoundly deep physical and emotional flavor of this word. When we hear that Jesus was “moved with pity,” it is saying that that Jesus saw into the heart of this man and that because of the pain Jesus saw in there, Jesus’ gut was wrenched, Jesus felt a deep powerful weeping inside, that in anguish His heart was torn open and the most vulnerable part of his being laid bare. The greatest lover who ever lived really knows what hurts this man and it shakes Jesus at the core of His very being, which is why Jesus stretches out His hand to touch, love, save and heal this man. This physical healing is only a hint of the compassion of Jesus for our wounded humanity. This compassion and love is something I have experienced first-hand. I stand before you today as a brother, Deacon and Dad who is grateful; grateful for all the times in my life when I needed love and healing and Jesus worked through others who got out of their comfort zone to reach out to let me feel Christ’s loving and healing touch. During a heart-wrenching break-up with my girlfriend in college, I remember calling my older brother and letting him know how empty and alone I felt and him dropping everything that was going on in his life to drive five hours to come and be with me for the weekend. Just his presence and companionship had a tremendous healing effect in letting me know I was fully known and fully loved. I stand before you as a Deacon today because unworthy as I felt pursuing Jesus’ call to become a Deacon, someone showed Christ’s love for me by giving a generous gift through their Annual Catholic Appeal donation to make my Deacon schooling affordable. I have no doubt that this person measured the generosity of their loving gift not by how much they gave, but by how much they had left over after they gave. And more recently, there’s been a change in our family’s nightly bedtime prayer routine. My sweet nine-year-old daughter, Journey, has started getting out of her comfort zone on the other side of the bed to come cuddle with her Dad during bedtime prayers. The message from the acts of each of these people is clear: Justin, you are fully known and fully loved. In a beautiful way, it is really Jesus who is speaking this message to each of us. So during this week of love, may we feel in the depths of our souls Jesus saying to each of us “you are fully known and fully loved.”

Catholic Schools Week, the Annual Catholic Appeal, and upcoming events right here on the Catholic Gateway Podcast Weekly News Update for January 29, 2018.

Annual Catholic Appeal results, Archbishop Carlson calls for peace, and lots of upcoming events, on this Catholic Gateway Podcast weekly news update for September 18, 2017. Dave Luecking also joins the podcast to talk about his story on Fr. Tom Kirchhoefer who rode out Hurricane Irma in Florida.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

O Holy Night! I love that song. Hello! My name is Brian Niebrugge, and I work with the Office of Stewardship and the Annual Catholic Appeal for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Our Jesse Tree reflection today focuses on the Blessed Virgin Mary and our symbol is the lily. Isn’t it wonderful, at this time of year, to see so many images of Mary on display? I know, it is difficult sometimes to see the over-commercialization of Christmas. But isn’t it awesome to walk into a public place and hear “Ave Maria” or “Silent Night” being broadcast through the PA? Isn’t it great to see images of the Holy Family in public places of honor? I am convinced that God uses the over-commercialization of Christmas to draw more attention to his Mother and to keep the mystery of His Incarnation present to an unbelieving world. Mary, like the lily, pure and white, is the Mother of the Church and the Mother of the world. As the Mother of God, Mary received, nurtured, and brought forth the physical body of Christ. Now, she works constantly to nurture and grow the mystical body of Christ, His Church. She is your mother, too. She loves you, and longs to bring you, adoring on bended knee, to the little manger in Bethlehem. To your Saviour. To her Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let’s walk with Mary this Advent on the road to Bethlehem. As we prepare our homes for Christmas, let’s ask her to help us prepare our hearts, to clean them up with Reconciliation and penance, to decorate them with prayer and good deeds, so that we can make of them a fitting birthday gift to her Son. And when the Holy Night of Christmas comes, the night of our dear Savior’s birth, let’s make sure we aren’t so busy celebrating our Lord’s birthday that we forget to spend time with Him and His mother. Mary has a unique and special role in salvation; you do too! If you are enjoying these Jesse Tree reflections, today, right now, would be a good moment to share them with someone else. Maybe Mary is asking you to help her bring your friends and family closer to her Son this Advent. I hope you have the merriest and most prayerful Christmas ever. Musical credit: "O Holy Night" · Christine Westhoff · Timothy Allen Hark ℗ 2014 Christine Westhoff

The results of the 2016 Annual Catholic Appeal in the Archdiocese of St. Louis were announced on September 16, 2016. In total, more than 51,000 households contributed nearly $14.9 million to assist the homeless and hungry, support women and their children, and fund Catholic education, among other charitable works. This episode of the Catholic Gateway Podcast looks at the results and the impact of the ACA here in St. Louis.

Summary of today's show: As we observe Memorial Day, we hear from a number of different voices, including the words of Fr. Paul Hurley, serving with the 101st Airborne Division; Beirne Lovely, archdiocesan general counsel who was a young Marine lieutenant during the Vietnam War; and Fr. Stephen Rock, pastor of St. Agnes in Reading who was a Navy chaplain for 34 years. Scot also talks to Mary Doorley and Michelle Huntley about a video they helped produce highlighting the service of the priests sent by the Archdiocese of Boston to serve as US military chaplains over the years and how the annual Catholic Appeal supports that ministry to servicemembers all over the world. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Fr. Stephen Rock, Beirne Lovely, Mary Doorley, Michelle Huntley Links from today's show: Today's topics: Memorial Day 1st segment: Scot read a column by Fr. Paul K. Hurley, a military chaplain with the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army, that appeared in the Pilot this week. Twelve years of service as a Catholic chaplain in the Army have given me a deep respect for the men and women serving in the military. Though most soldiers deployed in combat zones are young (the majority under the age of 30), they are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their friends and for their country. On one of my recent combat deployments, I was celebrating Mass in as many locations as possible to bring the sacraments to troops. Due to rugged terrain, most movements were done by helicopter. Though helicopter travel is the safest means of transportation, it often means an extended stay at a base until an aircraft for transport becomes available, or until combat operations permit travel. I'll never forget one such time when I was stranded for several days at a small and remote Forward Operating Base (FOB) awaiting Army helicopter transport. An unexpected convoy arrived at the FOB with a very special mission. The soldiers explained that they had come from an even smaller and more remote FOB. Due to the location and isolation of their base, no Catholic priest had ever been able to reach them. After learning that a Catholic priest was at a base nearby, these soldiers had risked their lives to bring me to their location to celebrate Mass. All chaplains in the military provide counsel and care to the troops, but a Catholic priest's primary mission is sacramental—to offer Holy Mass and confession. Though 20 percent of soldiers are Catholic, less than 6 percent of all Army chaplains are Catholic priests. More often than not, Catholic chaplains are not able to stay at one base or with one unit because the need is too great to visit troops who may not have encountered a Catholic priest in months. Despite a perilous route filled with dangers from roadside bombs or attacks, the soldiers in the convoy decided it was worth the risk to organize a mission to find a priest. These young soldiers' hungry desire for God and Holy Communion was stronger than their fear of the dangers they faced. I was honored to travel with them, to celebrate the Eucharist, and to hear their confessions. As I geared up for the return trip to my base, I was inundated with the most meaningful and heartfelt gestures of gratitude. These young men were so thankful to have the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in their midst and have the opportunity to attend Mass and have their confession heard by a priest. I never have encountered such profound and genuine thankfulness for the gift of the Eucharist—in combat zones or at home in the U.S. These experiences crystallize how important it is for our soldiers to have access to a priest and to the sacraments. The ministry and presence of a chaplain can make all the difference for a soldier and help him or her find hope and comfort during difficult times—when a friend is wounded or killed, or when a soldier feels the loneliness that so often accompanies deployment. Away from home and loved ones for extended periods of time and living under the constant threat of attack and danger, soldiers look to a chaplain for normalcy and reminders of the love and comfort that family, friends, and faith provide. Though I'm a Boston priest, my work in the military takes me outside the boundaries of the Archdiocese of Boston to deployed troops who need the same pastoral care that is so easy to take for granted living in safety. The chaplain's ministry helps carry out the universal mission of the Church to care for souls, and it is a ministry of which I am privileged and honored to be a part. The most important thing you can do to help this ministry is to pray. First, pray for the brave men and women who go into harm's way in the name of freedom. Remember their families—spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles—who also are making a sacrifice. Second, pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. We need more holy men to hear and answer the call to serve the Church as priests both domestically and abroad in the military. Finally, please pray for me, and for all priests serving in the military as chaplains. The Catholic faithful who offer their prayers renew and strengthen the work of all Catholic chaplains and this critical ministry of presence to our brothers and sisters in the military. May God continue to bless our faithful soldiers and give them the grace, hope, and strength they need to serve and protect our country and all of us. Father Paul K. Hurley is lieutenant colonel of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. His ministry is made possible in part, by the Archdiocese of Boston's office of clergy personnel and the vocations office, two of 50 central ministries supported by the Annual Catholic Appeal. To support the Catholic Appeal, please visit . 2nd segment: We will now replay two segments from The Good Catholic LIfe on Memorial Day last year, interviews with Beirne Lovely, archdiocesan general counsel who also served as a US Marine in the Vietnam War, and with Fr. Stephen Rock, pastor of St. Agnes Parish who served for many years as a U.S. Navy chaplain.* Scot welcomes Beirne Lovely, general counsel for the archdiocese and a former Marine, to the show. Scot asked him about his military service. He was commissioned as a Marine officer directly from Dartmouth College in 1967, followed by six months in Marine officer training, and then directly to Vietnam. He was stationed there for 13 months, all of 1968, which was one of the worst years of the war, including the . He spent his whole tour up north, including a and the . He was very close to the North Vietnamese border, serving as a platoon commander in an infantry company. He became a company commander when his company commander was killed. Scot said his perception of the Marines is that they are the ones who go in first, taking on the most difficult and most life-threatening assignments. Beirne said that was true. The Marine Corps had responsibility for the northern region of South Vietnam so they primarily were facing uniformed, trained soldiers rather than guerillas, so that's a fair statement. Beirne has been out of active duty with the Marines for 40 years now. What's it like to be a veteran on Memorial Day, remembering all those who have served and given their lives? Beirne said he lost a lot of friends in Vietnams. He arrived in Vietnam on an airplane with about 40 infantry Second Lieutenants and of those about half were killed and virtually all of the rest were wounded, so he has a special memory of service. He spends Memorial Day with other veterans in his hometown of Milton, which has services of recognition of veterans. He's spoken at a number of memorial services. He stays in touch with them year-round. He belongs to a number of veteran organizations to gather and recall the services of others. It's a difficult day in some respects because it reminds him of the friends he's lost as well as the people who served with and under him who were killed. He remains close to a small cadre of friends who he survived with and periodically they gather. Every year they celebrate the Marine Corps birthday on November 10. Boston is famous for its . They have a Marine Corps luncheon with over 2000 at the Hynes Convention Center. It's the biggest gathering of Marines in the country and often the or the assistant commandant come and speak. They have a number of Medal of Honor winners who are present. Msgr. John McDonough, a priest of Boston and former Chief of Chaplains for the Air Force (who Scot and Beirne jokingly call “the General”) and Fr. Rich Erikson, the vicar general of the Archdiocese and reserve Air Force chaplain, have attended the last couple of years with Beirne. Scot asked Beirne about the message he often delivers about the debt we all owe to those who are willing to give their lives in service to their country, particularly those who have lost their lives. The principle message he tries to send is one of respect and thanks and admiration for those who have served. This past week was recently Armed Forces Day, which honors everyone, living and dead, who have served. Memorial Day is a special time to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. When he talks to young people, many of them have no idea of this reality and have not experienced this and hopefully never will. But given Iraq and Afghanistan, people are more cognizant. He tries to make them understand that people can have a special calling and sometimes we have to do what we don't like to do. No one likes war, but someone has to fight it. Scot said Beirne served in a time when the respect for the military was low during the War in Vietnam. Beirne said during his last parade at Dartmouth College before graduating, they had to move to the stadium because there were so many protesters. He remembers having eggs thrown at him. Coming back from Vietnam, he recalls spitting at him or looking the other way or yelling at him. Quite a different experience than what troops experience today. He doesn't hesitate to say that he thinks Vietnam was a mistake, but when one is serving in the Armed Forces, you don't challenge your superiors, from the President on down. Scot said we may face some of the same issues today where some don't agree with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which can lead to an attitude towards men and women in uniform. It seems to have gotten better, but Scot's not sure that we still show proper appreciation for those who offer their lives in protection of our country. What's Beirne's sense of how we as a society, particularly in Massachusetts, appreciate our servicemen and women? He thinks we're getting much better at it. He thinks veterans are being accorded the respect that they're due. It's painful for him to watch. He wasn't a big supporter of what we did in Iraq or the strategy in Afghanistan. It's difficult to conceive how the war will be “won”. He has friends, whose children are in the service and going back for their third, fourth, or even fifth tours. In a sense, you're waiting for the bubble to burst. Vietnam was somewhat similar. Beirne was at Khe Sanh for 100 days. It was a famous base in a valley that was ill-situated. He remembers taking patrols out every day for 100 days and running into small-arms contact every day without exception and forcing his troops to walk through the densest of brush. Today, the young people are forced to drive on roads which they don't have complete control over and there's no way to combat the improved explosive devices (IED). One of Beirne's jobs, his hardest, was when he came back from Vietnam. He was assigned to Newport naval base as executive officer of the Marine barracks over a couple hundred Marines. His job every fourth day was to make casualty calls to families of Marines who had lost a loved one. He probably did 100 of those over 3-1/2 years. That was the most painful task. There's nothing worse than knocking on the front the door and telling a mother her son is dead. Scot said, they know as soon as they see you. It's a very quick notification in the sense that you have to get it out: “Mr Lovely, I'm sorry to tell you that your son, Charles, was killed two days ago in the Republic of Vietnam serving his country.” It just doesn't get any worse than that. After the notification it was his job to follow through and handle the funeral and coordinate the military honors at the funeral. Of all the things that bring him tears, he's not ashamed to say it, is thinking about those people who gave their lives. Scot said, both for our Catholic and non-Catholic listeners, Memorial Day takes on an air of “what cookout are you going to?” using the language of celebration, not thinking of how difficult it is for someone who's made 100 of those calls and lost so many friends. What suggestion does Beirne have for everyone, but especially Catholics? Beirne said he was not the most devout and faithful Catholic when he finished college. But he remembers in Vietnam the role of the chaplain. At Khe Sanh, you had to stay in a trench all the time. They were taking 2,500 rounds per day of heavy artillery. These chaplains were notoriously visible, which gave him a great deal of comfort. His message to people is to pause some time during the day to think about those who have worn the uniform and have made the ultimate sacrifice for their God and their country from their perspective. Scot would add to that to pray for the souls of the faithful departed, particularly those who have served in the military. Something we're very good at in the Church is remembering those who have gone before us. If you happen to encounter someone you know has served, thank them for their service, however short or long it is. 3rd segment: Scot welcomes Fr. Rock to show. He's pastor of St. Agnes in Reading and a former Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard chaplain. Scot said he's retired as a military chaplain and asked him about the assignments he's had as a Navy chaplain. Fr. Rock said he served for 34 years, the first 13 in the Reserves and the rest on active duty. He served with the Marines in ; on board the out of San Diego, (which was built in Quincy); , North Carolina, with the Marines; and then in Sicily, Italy. From there he was called back to Washington to serve as personnel director for chaplains serving the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Scot asked how many Navy chaplains are there? Fr. Rock said there were 1,100 chaplains around the world, 235 of them active duty priests. That was at the time he left he job in 1996. As he understands it now, there are less than 100 priests on active duty. After that job, he assigned himself to the out of Norfolk, Virginia, an aircraft carrier with 5,000 sailors and Marines on board. From there he went back to the Marines in Okinawa and then around the world again to , which gave him an opportunity to be in Rome on several occasions. For his last assignment, he returned to New England for the in New London, Connecticut. He spent 3 great years with those young men and women. Scot asked him what attracted to being a naval chaplain when he was in the seminary. Fr. Rock said his father had a cousin who was a chaplain with the Army Air Corp in World War II and he's sure he heard some of those stories growing up. Also growing up in Boston, he had a great love of the ocean and stories of naval history here. He wanted to be a priest in conjunction with serving the country and traveling and seeing the world. Scot asked what it was like to be a chaplain on the Roosevelt, how it's different from being pastor of a large parish in Reading. Fr. Rock said he was the senior chaplain on the ship with two Protestant chaplains who served under him along with a couple of enlisted personnel. Their role was to provide not only for the religious needs of the men and women onboard, but also the personal needs that are the equivalent of social work. They would handle all the Red Cross messages from the US regarding a death in the family or issues back home. They became pastors for the whole trip. The difference between being a chaplain on the ship and a pastor in a parish is just the uniform. In the parish he has the collar on and on the ship he has the uniform on. Some of the sailors would refer to him as “Captain” (his rank), but most would call him “Chaps” or “Padre” or “Father”. It was always a sign of endearment. He wasn't into the rank. He remembers a sailor telling another, “Don't worry about his rank. He couldn't care less about it. He's more interested in being with us.” Fr. Rock saw that as the ultimate compliment. His responsibilities as a chaplain extended beyond the Catholics. Fr. Rock said chaplains are responsible to provide religious opportunities for everyone. So of course he would celebrate the Masses, which occurred on the Roosevelt on Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon. He would also helicopter to other ships in the carrier's task force. There was no Jewish chaplain so he would work with the Jewish community onboard to prepare lay-led services. Before they would deploy, he would connect one of them with a local rabbi for training. They would do the same for all the other faith groups as well. Scot asked if there were big difference between serving with the Navy versus serving with the Marines and serving with the Coast Guard. Fr. Rock said that one interesting difference is that there were more Catholic Marines than there were Catholic sailors. He's heard different explanations, but he doesn't know how to explain it. He said there's a deep desire in people for a better understanding of God, and who more than those putting themselves in harm's way. They want to know there is a God who cares and loves them. That is the same between the services. The chaplains serve as role models and to share with them not only their hardships, but also the love of God and the hope that comes from a relationship with God. Scot asked what it's like to be at sea for long periods. Fr. Rock said it's awesome to see the beauty of God. Being a person of faith, you try to see God everywhere in His creation. At sea, you see the ocean, the clouds, the sunrises and sunsets, and the night sky. Also the animals you find at sea. You get a whole sense of God's creation. In 1987, he was on an coming out of the Persian Gulf through the Straits of Hormuz about midnight. The Captain told him that they would have Mass that night out on the deck between weapons mounts and they jokingly named it St. of the Sea. It was incredible in terms of the brightness of the stars and the phosphorescence of the ocean so they didn't need any lights for the Mass. The men and women could sense that God was with them in this place in a very special way. It's one of his best memories celebrating Mass at sea. Scot asked Fr. Rock what is like to be chaplain in the Far East during his two stints at Okinawa for himself the men interacting in a culture different from our own. Fr. Rock said it's a blessing for our military to have assignments around the world because they are put in contact with other cultures and they don't have a choice. When they get there, they can embrace it and go out and discover it, or they just stay on the base. For those that want to learn as much as they can, there's a richness that opens up for them. Fr. Rock was blessed to have a priest in the local diocese, a Capuchin Franciscan from Wisconsin who'd been there since the 1950s. He was a great mentor to all the priests coming through Okinawa and he gave them a view into the local culture that was very Shinto Buddhist but also connected to the Catholic Church. The more Fr. Rock understood Shinto, it was like reading the Old Testament. He remembers being at a ceremony in a town in northern Okinawa called , for the cherry blossom festival, which is a big celebration for Japan. There was a huge banyan tree in the middle of the city, in front of which was an altar covered with fruits and vegetables and other items, like sake. Of course, Fr. Rock didn't understand Japanese, so he just had to go on what he saw was happening. But he watched them chant, beat the drum, and dance around, and then take the food on the altar and throw it up into the tree, and then take the big bottles of sake and pour them on the roots of the tree (which disappointed the Marines he was with). Later on the day, one of his chaplain friends who'd been a missionary in Taiwan before becoming a chaplain said to Fr. Rock that's right out of the Old Testament. Wherever the patriarchs had encountered God in a special way, they would build an altar and offer sacrifice to God in honor of that visit. For the Shinto, in the ceremony they weren't worshipping the tree, but worshipping the gods as they understood them. What they did know is that because the tree was so big and unique in Okinawa, they believed the gods as they understood them must have touched earth in this particular spot. The Franciscan missionary told him that they were able to use much of the folklore to help the people understand Christianity because of the connections to Christian understanding. The more he traveled in Asia and visited Shinto shrines, he saw the devotion of the people at them and their sense of the divine mystery. They had no understanding of it as we do, but they recognized that there was something beyond them. At these places of worship they would be present while we in the West, without our scientific way of thinking and wanting to figure everything out, have lost a lot of the sense of the sacred and the divine. The biggest difficulty for Christianity in that part of the world is the crucifixion. They can't understand the humiliation of the cross. Fr. Rock recalls a book that said the way to the Japanese heart is through the compassion of Christ and the stories of Scripture like the Samaritan woman and the the woman with the hemorrhages. Fr. Rock said it enriched the spiritual lives of those from the West who were able to experience it. Scot asked Fr. Rock how often he brings his experiences in the Navy to his preaching at St. Agnes. He replied that it depends on what's going on. He tries not to tell Navy stories all the time, but there are opportunities to bring his experience to a particular reading. Scot asked him to describe St. Agnes. He said it's a busy parish with a lot going on. They have had a great foundation of faith-building in the parish. They had Fr. Arthur Flynn as pastor for 33 years and they did a lot of great spiritual development at that time. Fr. Rock wants to go from being a good parish to a great parish and move forward, improving their outreach. That's one of the big differences from being a chaplain. On a naval base, you take care of the chapel and maintain things for two or three years or maintain the chaplaincy on a ship, and you move on to another assignment. But now Fr. Rock is close to his fourth anniversary at St. Agnes, which is the longest he's been in one place for the last 25 years. So on the one hand, he could sit back and relax, but on the other, there's so much that needs to be done working with all the parishioners and growing the parish. Something they've took on was the project related to the book, “From Maintenance to Mission,” by Fr. Bob Rivers, to be come a church that is mission-oriented. They started the process a year ago and in October they did the parish-wide survey during the homily at Mass. The surveys were sent to the at Georgetown, who complied the data and put it together in a report. Then they did focus groups which involved about 140 people. In February, they had a listening day at which 175 people came to the church for six hours. They were excited to be able to talk and be heard. Then in March they had a discernment day, trying to narrow down all the ideas of listening day into some practical things they could move forward with. That was another six hour day. They have another one coming up at the beginning of June that they call vision day, to lay out what they will do for the next three years in outreach. It begins a process that is Christ-centered and will be all laid out on Pentecost weekend. Scot said he will have Fr. Rock and some of his parishioners back on the show to talk about this process which could be a model for other parishes. He thanked Fr. Rock for his service to our country and as a priest here in the Archdiocese of Boston. Fr. Rock said Memorial Day is a reminder to us of the sacrifice of all who have gone before us and a good day to remember them, to pray for them, and to thank God for the gifts we have in this country of those who are willingly to go in harm's way on our behalf. 4th segment: Scot welcomed Mary Doorley and Michelle Huntley from Boston Catholic Development Services to the show. Scot said the office has created a video honoring military chaplains from the Archdiocese of Boston. Mary said they approached Fr. Michael Medas in the Clergy Personnel office earlier this spring if they could reach out to chaplains. Those chaplains shared their stories and photos which were edited into a video that has been getting a lot of positive response. Michelle said priests serving in the military is a wonderful gift to the Church and we often don't remember them. There are hundreds of thousands of Catholic soldiers serving overseas who need the sacraments too. Our priests lay down their lives in service for them. Scot said it's important we're connected through the support of these chaplains. Mary said it's sometimes very difficult for servicemembers to receive those sacraments.When we support the Catholic Appeal, we help that ministry. Scot said the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston and their bishops have been very generous. The Archdiocese is know for generosity in serving the St. James Society, but the Archdiocese also sends many priests to the chaplains corp. Michelle said it's shocking that people don't know the kind of service that chaplains provide and the grace and gift that it is for our men and women in the military. Scot said he's read testimonies from service members who can go months without seeing a chaplain and then when one comes they treasure the opportunity for the sacraments. Those priests are able to be sent from the Archdiocese because of the work of the Vocations Office and the Clergy Personnel Office and our seminaries. There are currently 12 who are actively serving as chaplains, but so many more in our parishes have experience as military chaplains. Many of these pastors in our parishes are still in the Reserves and National Guard, providing service throughout the year. There are a number of priests who are themselves veterans from before they entered seminary. Mary thanked the many families who have supported the Catholic Appeal and asked those who are listening to do so if they can.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell**Today's guest(s):** Fr. Richard Erikson, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Boston, and Colbe Mazzarella, founder and organizer of the Way of the Cross for Life on Good Friday.    * [Archdiocese of Boston's Annual Report for 2010](http://www.bostoncatholic.org/annualreport)* [Life Matters TV show](http://www.lifematterstv.org/)* ["Way of the Cross for Life tradition continues" (The Pilot, 4/2/2004)](http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=1603)* [Way of the Cross for Life - Meetup](http://www.meetup.com/Way-of-the-Cross-for-Life/)**Today's topics:** Fr. Richard Erikson's role as vicar general and moderator of the curia; the Archdiocese's balanced budget; and the Way of the Cross for Life**A summary of today's show:** Fr. Erikson tells Scot and Fr. Mark what the vicar general and moderator of the curia does and then talks about the milestone of the Archdiocese's balanced budget, which is a foundation for the future of the church in Boston. Colbe Mazzarella discusses her founding of the Way of the Cross for Life as a spiritual component of the pro-life movement. Then a discussion of the first Gospel for Palm Sunday.**1st segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. Mark back to the show. Fr. Mark was in Washington DC with the Canon Law Society of America. He is a member of the board of governors. There are thousands of members. Tomorrow, as the judicial vicar, he is the chaplain of the Catholic Lawyers Guild, and on the Saturday before Palm Sunday they have a day of recollection. Fr. Ed Riley will lead the day. All Catholic Lawyers and judges are welcome at the Pastoral Center tomorrow. Scot asked why the annual Mass for lawyers is called the Red Mass. Fr. Mark said it has medieval origins. It connects with the robes that the priests wore during that Mass, which were red.**2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Mark welcome Fr. Richard Erikson to The Good Catholic Life. Scot asks what Fr. Richard's job entails. He was asked by Cardinal Sean to take on the job five years ago and even then he didn't have a full understanding. Vicar comes from the word vicarious. So his job is to take Cardinal Sean's vision and make it reality. His job is to reflect the mind and the heart of the bishop. He said Cardinal Sean has an enormous mind and an enormous heart. He has the heart of a shepherd. There are a number of vicars general in the Archdiocese. The auxiliary bishops are also vicars general and Fr. Mark says that Fr. Rich's role is unique because of his job as moderator of the curia. The curia are all those who work in the Archdiocese, those who work in the Pastoral Center and all the priests. He is the pastor for them.Fr. Mark asked what are the privileges of his role. Fr. Rich said he has the privilege of working in Christ's name to bring Christ to others, to build the kingdom of God in the Archdiocese. It is also a responsibility of leadership as well.Scot said that on his first day of work, Fr. Rich talked with him about the ministry of development, and Fr. Rich talks about the ministry of administration. Fr. Rich is also an Air Force chaplain. What does it mean to have a ministry of administration? He says it's difficult not to be a parish priest. He had imagined he would spend his life in parishes. Everything we do in the Pastoral Center i service to others, to parishes, to hospitals, to others in carrying out the mission of Christ. Even though he spends a lot of time in meetings and writing memos and looking at budgets, all of it is service to Christ and the Catholic community. Scot noted that he was astounded when he learned how big the Archdiocese is, how many ministries there are, how many organizations. Fr. Rich said what even more impressive than the scope of the operations is the dedication of the people on the staff and the hours people spend and the devotion and commitment. He didn't know before he became vicar general that there were 144 communities in the archdiocese. His parish encompasses 1.8 million people. He's learned that there are wonderful people who devote their lives to Christ and the Church with great sacrifice, day in and day out. It includes people who also work in administrative positions.Fr. Rich had enumerated four pillars he hoped that all ministries would embrace: Service, outreach, communication, and coordination. The most important person in the archdiocese today is the person who will ring a doorbell looking for a priest, a prisoner seeking ministry, a child receiving First Communion. In outreach, we are about what happens outside this building in the parishes of the archdiocese. Communication: To get the message of Christ, we make the best use, particularly through the Catholic Media secretariat using modern means. Coordination: The Archdiocese is very complex with a need for many different departments, like benefits, payroll, legal, etc., plus coordinating with the five regions of the archdiocese and all the vicariates and parishes within them.**3rd segment:** For the first time in Cardinal Sean's tenure, the Archdiocese has achieved a balanced budget for central ministries. Fr. Rich said its extraordinary given the challenges Cardinal Sean had. He began with a $15 million deficit. The Knights of Columbus had given loans to help, but the loans had up to $3 million in interest payments. To get here has required a great deal of sacrifice. First, there is the generosity of the people of the Archdiocese of Boston, sticking with the Church through the darkest hour of our history. Second, there is the great work of the staff in the Annual Catholic Appeal, which is to the archdiocese what the weekly offertory is to parishes. Third, the work of Jim McDonough, the chancellor, and his staff, bringing the best practices of finances and administration to the archdiocese. The sacrifices have included most painfully reductions in staff. The people in the Pastoral Center are doing more with less. Fr. Mark asked about future signs of hope. Fr. Rich said he sees the balanced budget is something to be built on. We have made remarkable strides in evangelization over the past few years through the [Arise](http://www.bostoncatholic.org/ARISE.aspx?pid=464) program and [Catholics Come Home](http://www.catholicscomehomeboston.org) and the [The Light Is On For You](http://www.thelightisonforyou.org). These wouldn't happen if we didn't have our financial house in order and didn't have t he generosity of our people.Scot said one of the headlines for him that he didn't see in the secular coverage is the amount of information that's there and how transparent there is. No other diocese comes close. Fr. Rich said trust is so important in a diocese so devastated by the abuse of minors and what the Church did not do in relation to those crimes. Transparency is one more indication of the Cardinal's desire to earn the trust of the people of the Archdiocese.Fr. Mark said both the cardinal and the chancellor speak with optimism of the Improved Financial Relationship Model. Fr. Rich said Scot had the vision of a new relationship in terms of finances and stewardship between central ministries and the parishes of the archdiocese. Scot saw that the model for fundraising in the archdiocese needed improvement. The model is to increase offertory giving at the parish level--which has already seen great success--and then to have a fair share by each parish in its contributions to the central ministries. It's not about increasing what central ministries receives. It's about dividing the pie more fairly. It's not about money, but it's about relationships. The 30 parishes in the first phase have a far greater connection to central ministries and far greater sense of the Universal Church.Fr. Rich has [written about Holy Week](http://pilotcatholicnews.com/article.asp?ID=13236) in the Pilot this week. It's about Palm Sunday. As a priest he looks forward to next week for the opportunity to focus on our journey with Christ. The article looks at the Passion of the Lord and the fact that the Lord is with us. He encourages everyone to make the time to be with Christ next week.**4th segment:** Scot and Fr. Mark are joined by Colbe Mazzarella. She started the Way of the Cross for Life. Back in the 80s she heard about a Walk for Life on the West Coast and 24 years later it continues. There are three processions: one in Boston with Cardinal Sean; another in East Boston; and the original that used to start in Brookline. they used to walk between three different abortion clinics, but they've all since closed. That procession is now in Allston in front of Planned Parenthood. They all start at 9am.The Boston route starts at Government Center and all the stops are at churches. The Paulist Center is next to the State House, St. Anthony Shrine, St. James in Chinatown, and Holy Cross Cathedral. They saw two stations per stop and do readings.This is not a protest. There are no signs or anything. They carry a cross and a statue of Our Lady.Fr. Mark said when he did this in Rome, there is something invigorating about crossing the street with a big crowd of people witnessing to Christ. Colbe said it's about making reparation, like Jesus walking through the streets of Jerusalem, getting mixed reactions, being a witness. East Boston starts at Most Holy Redeemer. The Allston way stays in front of Planned Parenthood. The East Boston procession ends at the Madonna shrine in Orient Heights.At the cathedral, Cardinal Sean leads the last two stations and leads a consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The procession at the cathedral ends at noon and people usually stay for Good Friday services.Scot asked about the pro-life movement not being just about politics, but is about prayer and sacrifice as well. Colbe said politics is a means to an end. They're trying to help mothers and fathers and babies live a good life and end up in heaven. They're concentrating on the spiritual side of things. On Good Friday, Christ is pierced for what we do wrong. It's not just about women who've had abortions, but for all of us who may have failed to help someone in a crisis pregnancy or otherwise were silent. It has the spiritual goal to be in union with God. Christ asked us to take up His cross and follow Him.Fr. Mark noted that Colbe has eight children. This is a family friendly event. They take two hours to walk what would normally take 20 minutes. There are people with strollers and others walking with a cane.Scot asked how people could do something like this in their town? She said they've had others who've done Ways of the Cross for Life as far as India. She has a booklet that she can send or email anyone. Email her at [ccmaz@aol.com](mailto:ccmazz@aol.com).Colbe said that after 24 of these Ways of the Cross for Life, she knows that she has served Christ. It's not a great burden to organize it. Pick a time or place and invite others. Emphasis is on prayer, not on confrontation.**5th segment:** Scot, Fr. Mark, and Colbe consider the Gospel for Sunday. Because the Palm Sunday includes all of the Passion which is very long, they will consider the first Gospel that is read at the beginning of Mass.April 17, 2011 Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Gospel of the Procession of the Palms (Matthew 21:1-11)>When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, ‘The master has need of them.' Then he will send them at once.”>>This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion, “Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” >>The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” >>And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?” And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”Holy Week begins an understanding of Jesus as king, connecting to the Old Testament. Fr. Mark said he connected it with Colbe feeling sent to do something. Likewise, the disciples are sent and the result is the glory of Jesus. We do our part for the Lord and and Christ does the rest. We lead people to ask the question, "Who is this Jesus?"Colbe says she loves that we are in different roles within the crowd of different roles at different times in our lives. Scot said that in the Holy Father's new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection, he dictates it to the entrance to Jerusalem. He says hosanna is understood that it is connected to the coming of the king. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord would fulfill the messianic promises. Kings of the day controlled the means of transportation. The people understand that Christ at least believes he is the new king, but he is a king unlike what they were expecting, a king of peace, of simplicity, of the poor. Fr. Mark said they were ready to cheer the king they thought he was, but they abandoned him when he wasn't what they thought.The Holy Father also says the Palm Sunday is an anticipation of what the Church does each day in her liturgy. The Church sees the coming of Christ again and again in the bread and wine. The Church greets Him as one who continues to come. As a pilgrim, He comes to us and take us in His ascent to the cross and resurrection to the New Jerusalem.Fr. Mark said it is a perfect time to come home to the Church, to walk with Christ into the glories of Jerusalem. Don't wait for Easter. Come Palm Sunday with us on the journey.