Podcasts about sunday masses

A homily for the Easter Vigil and Sunday Masses.

At both St. John Catholic Student Center and Holy Family Cathedral, our priests offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation during some Sunday Masses. Is that okay? What does the Church advise on this issue? Fr. O'Brien and Fr. Kerry talk through the good and bad of an increasingly popular practice. 

With this past weekend's inclement weather we were still able to have 3 out of our 4 Sunday Masses, however, I did not have all the equipment with me needed to record my homily, so enjoy t his homily from Epiphany 2022

Delivered by Claudia Isabel Bonorianto and Markus Eko Bonorianto from Saint John Bosco Church in Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. 2 Kings 24: 8-17; Rs psalm 79: 1-2.3-5.8.9; Matthew 7: 21-29 STONE HOUSE VERSUS SAND HOUSE   The theme for our meditation today is: Stone House Versus Sand House. When Jesus spoke about a house or building that was not strong enough against rain, floods and hurricanes that would destroy it, He was in line with the thought of the writer of Proverbs who said: "When hurricanes hit, sinners are destroyed, but the righteous will last forever" (Prov 10.25).   There were two mothers who were sharing stories about their children who are currently studying in the city. Each lives in a different city. Parents and their respective families in the village really hope that their children are diligent in their spiritual life even though they must also study with all their efforts. While still at home and before going to college, they were so committed in personal prayers, family prayer together, Sunday Masses and other Catholic youth activities.   When they are already far from home, the story has become different. One of those two students has a happy story. The atmosphere in the boarding house where he lives, bonding with friends and environment in campus lead him to grow better in the spiritual aspect. His personal prayer habit becomes stronger and he involves also in youth activities in the local parish. He attends Masses every Sunday, even he goes also for the daily Masses. This student is a spiritual stone house, as described by Jesus in today's Gospel.   The story about the other student is so different. His environment in the city has transformed him into a young person who is out of his family's expectation. He becomes a hard-tempered person and he also involved in crimes. Several times he was targeted by the security forces but he always escaped. His spiritual life is in danger. He recognizes himself as a believer who has faith in Christ, but his real life was very much in conflict with his faith. This young man is an example of a sandhouse building that is also illustrated by today's Gospel.   Faith that grows as a stone house is a life of believers with two important characteristics, namely listening to the words of God and practicing them. Instead those who listen but do not put them into practice, belong to the life of faith as a house made of sand. In our lives, there are often these two types of people live together in one family, community, environment, and the Church. Here the real test takes place. Each is trying to winover the other.   If the stone house of faith becomes stronger, the power and glory of God will rule our entire lives. But if the sand house is stronger, then disasters will soon hit our lives, such as the bitter experience of the Israelites who were defeated and put in to exiled in Babylon.   Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord, bless us with the growth of our healthy and mature faith. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/media-la-porta/message

Hello everyone. Here's a Bonus episode for you! I was the celebrant and homilist at our Sunday Masses for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel reading was taken from Matthew 22:1-14, the parable of the King who gives a wedding feast for his son. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/francisosb/message

Cardinal Dolan suggests Sunday Masses might be taking too long. Do you agree? Plus: Taylor Swift and a 70-burger? A wild week 3 in the NFL.     Resource Mentioned: https://www.oursundayvisitor.com/cardinal-dolan-are-sunday-masses-just-too-long/

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., to discuss Cardinal Dolan's recent comments about the length of Sunday Masses. Other guests include Brendan Hodge with more thoughts on Classical Education, and Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History. Plus news, weather, sports, and a whole lot more...

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., to discuss Cardinal Dolan's recent comments about the length of Sunday Masses. Other guests include Brendan Hodge with more thoughts on Classical Education, and Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History. Plus news, weather, sports, and a whole lot more… ***** Prayer of Saint Boniface Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children,we praise you for all you have given us,for all you have done for us,for all that you are to us.In our weakness, you are strength,in our darkness, you are light,in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace.We cannot number your blessings,we cannot declare your love:For all your blessings we bless you.May we live as in your presence,and love the things that you love,and serve you in our daily lives;through Jesus Christ our Lord. ***** Ramona Trevino is online at 40daysforlife.com/cincinnati David Kissell is online at aocstewardship.org. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The devastating Maui fires appear to have spared Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lahaina, providing a symbol of hope amid catastrophic destruction. At least 93 deaths had been reported as of Sunday, August 13, making the disaster the deadliest wildfire event in the US since 1918. Authorities expect the death toll to rise. Multiple fast-moving fires, fanned by strong winds and fueled by dry vegetation, swept across the Hawaiian island. The western town of Lahaina, with fewer than 13,000 residents, was particularly devastated. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, named for Our Lady of Victory, appears to have escaped destruction. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church serves 700 to 800 families and celebrates six Sunday Masses every weekend. It hosts many weddings from visitors from around the world. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255084/for-us-it-s-like-a-miracle-catholic-church-appears-to-survive-devastating-maui-fire After Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was gunned down at a campaign rally this week, Pope Francis appealed for a unified effort for peace in the country plagued by drug-related violence. The pope sent a condolence telegram to Archbishop Alfredo Espinoza Mateus of Quito on August 12 in which he condemned the assassination “with all his strength” and expressed his deepest sympathy to the family of the deceased and “all of the beloved Ecuadorian people.” Villavicencio, 59, was assassinated on Wednesday night at a campaign event only ten days before the first round of voting in Ecuador's presidential election. The politician had been an outspoken critic of the violence caused by drug trafficking. Immediately following the assassination, the Ecuadorian bishops' conference condemned the act of violence, while pledging to support initiatives to restore public safety and to “pray and work for peace based on freedom, justice, and truth.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255081/pope-francis-condemns-assassination-of-ecuadorian-presidential-candidate A community of Norbertine priests from California is putting down roots in the Midwest by opening a new priory and educational institute in Springfield, Illinois, this summer. The Norbertine, or Premonstratensian, order was founded in 1121 in France by Saint Norbert. The new priory had its official opening July 1. The Norbertines plan to offer daily Mass and thrice-weekly confessions in the new space, located at 4867 Laverna Road, as well as host diocesan events and retreats for groups and individuals. The buildings and grounds of Corpus Christi Priory are the former site of the Chiara Center, operated by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, who will continue to live in a convent on the property. The Norbertine fathers will serve as chaplains for the sisters. Visitors are welcome at the new priory. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255079/california-community-of-norbertine-priests-establish-new-priory-educational-institute-in-illinois Today, the Church celebrates Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the Polish Franciscan priest, missionary and martyr. The saint died in the concentration camp at Auschwitz, during World War II, and is remembered as a “martyr of charity” for dying in place of another prisoner who had a wife and children. Saint Maximilian is also celebrated for his missionary work, his evangelistic use of modern means of communication, and for his lifelong devotion to the Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 10, 1982. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-maximillian-kolbe-560

As part of the Arlington Diocese Mission Cooperative Plan, representatives of the Dalit Solidarity spoke at all the Aug. 5-6 Sunday Masses about their mission work providing quality education for the poor and Dalits in India. (Dalit is the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. Today, approximately 25 percent of India's 1.3 billion people are Dalits — that comprises nearly 300 million people!) Father Benjamin Chinnappan's homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6th talks about all. For more information, click here and here. 

“What is the most loving thing I can do right now at this moment when somebody has said something that is very painful to hear, or that something is happening to us that is very painful to experience?” And sometimes it is to just pause and to sit. Because in the darkness there can be a treasure, a treasure of new grace that God will give us. (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary time . Recently, we began using video versions of the homilies so that you can listen and watch. I hope you find that useful. Please feel free to share with others.I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

There are many lost sheep. There are many without a shepherd. If we could allow God's love into our own lives and to feel that exuberant love allowing it to transformer us. Then we can go out of here joy-filled loving others wherever they are. We spread God's love. Then we will have lived the gospel completely. (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary time which was also Father's day. Please feel free to share with others.Happy Father's Day to all and I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

The feast day we celebrate today is the solemnity of the Body and the Blood of Christ and we celebrate this at every Sunday Mass weekly. We believe that the food of this table is spiritual nourishment. We believe this because the Gospel says this is true food and true drink. We believe it really nourishes our spiritual bodies in profound ways. (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Please feel free to share with others.I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

The feast day we celebrate today is the solemnity of the Body and the Blood of Christ and we celebrate this at every Sunday Mass weekly. We believe that the food of this table is spiritual nourishment. We believe this because the Gospel says this is true food and true drink. We believe it really nourishes our spiritual bodies in profound ways. (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Please feel free to share with others.I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

“OK, do I have the energy for fifteen minutes of attention? Now” Think about how absurd that question is. Do I have fifteen minutes of energy to pay attention to somebody I love? It betrays what's going on in my life. It betrays what's going on in our lives that we've got too busy. Too distracted, too consumed with too many things that we can't take fifteen minutes every day to connect with somebody whom we claim to love. (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Feast of The Most Holy Trinity. Please feel free to share with others.I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

Today we celebrate the gift of this Holy Spirit in all of our lives. Let's not be afraid to invite that Holy Spirit into our hearts and to set our hearts on fire so the whole world can know that no one is a true stranger. No one is a true stranger in the body of Christ. All are welcome, and we are called to bring that message alive in how we pay attention to the voice of the stranger among us. (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Feast of Pentecost. Please feel free to share with others.I hope you enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend, remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

Love one another, yes by all means. Especially today, love your mothers but beyond that, we are called to love those who have no one to love; to witness to the God of love. It will look crazy on the outside but that is what we are called to do. “Where we do not find love, put love and you will draw out love.” (Read more…)Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, living, and with the Lord. And all mother figures in our lives.I look forward to seeing all of you at next Sunday Masses.

•Frank Biggs and the Historic St. Agatha Catholic Church (Celebrating 131 years in 2023) •Frank was a musician, director, singer and pioneer in the Catholic Church.  He founded the FIRST Gospel choir in the Archdiocese of Chicago, IL on the Westside at the historic St. Agatha Catholic Church under the pastor Fr. John Barlow in 1972. •Frank began his career at St. Agatha as the Minister of Music for the church a few years prior where he played the Pipe Organ and Grand Piano for all of the services.  He also sang and occasionally had one or two soloists sing the traditional Catholic hymns and chants. •With the community changing in the Lawndale community and more African American families attending services the Pastor along with Frank knew there had to be some musical changes, especially with Latin language Mass being phased out.  Under the Pastoral leadership of Fr. John Barlow, Frank Biggs asked to start a Gospel Choir to sing at one of the 3 Sunday Masses. •St. Agatha Catholic Church became the First Catholic Church in the Chicago Archdiocese to sing traditional Gospel music (and sang like a Protestant choir.) •Please send me an email sharing your thoughts about this show segment also if you have any suggestions of future guests you would like to hear on the show. Send an email to letstalk2gmg@gmail.com •You may also “like” and share the podcast episode; or you may Subscribe to be alerted when the newest show is published. •NEW RADIO SHOW ON INTERNET RADIO STATION WMRM-DB SATURDAY MORNING 9:00 AM CST / 10:00 AM EST •The Radio show can be heard anywhere in the World! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letstalk2gmg-ansonia/message

In today's Gospel, we find a sense of hospitality, that Jesus is talking about with God, his Father's house. Jesus says there are many dwelling places in my Father's house; and I am going to prepare a place for you. He says, he is going to prepare a place for the disciples. ( Read more…)This past weekend, we celebrated First Eucharist with the children and families. At the beginning of this homily, I am preaching directly to the children. I think the message is still for all of us. I thank God for all of these children who have come to the table of the Lord.I look forward to seeing them and all of you at Sunday Masses.

Catholic Family News interviews three participants in the miracle of Front Royal, VA. When pandemic lock-downs shut down every option for Mass and the Sacraments, God intervened to answer the plea for priests coming ascending to heaven from Front Royal. You will be inspired and edified by listening to their story. God will never be outdone in generosity. That truth is reconfirmed in this tale of Divine Providence. No longer in a horse corral or fair ground, Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapelhas a permanent home at 5267 John Marshall Hwy, Linden (near Front Royal), VA 22642 with Sunday Masses at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. 

Sanctuary Update! Hello St. Mary Magdalene,  Thanks for tuning in to this week's video with me, Fr. Chris. It's been a while since my last update on our sanctuary so that's what we'll talk about today! I've got some dates of what's happening! I also have pictures of what several of these components will look like.  First, beginning March 13th until March 31st we'll be installing our muralwork and having the front panel of our ceiling painted with gold stars! During this time we'll have use of most of the church, the only area that will be unavailable to us will be our sanctuary due to the scaffolding. The timing of this installation also means that we'll have all of our artwork in time for Palm Sunday and Holy Week! I don't have any additional pictures of this muralwork because I don't want to spoil the surprise and the magnificence of the unveiling. We'll see it unfold together as a community during the installation.  Second, our new altar furnishings which so many of you generously paid for will be in at the same time, meaning that these pieces too will be ready for liturgical use on Palm Sunday. My plan for Palm Sunday then is to bless items at each of the Sunday Masses so that the whole parish can participate in the blessing and dedication of these items.  Third, you've seen in the design drawings that we're having new marble altars and an ambo in the sanctuary. Thanks to some generous donors, these items are fully funded, designed, and waiting for the marble to arrive so that fabrication can begin. These pieces should be ready for installation at Mary Magdalene in early June. Here are some photos of the altar and ambo pieces and how they tie in with our overall theme.  Once all these pieces, murals, altars, and furnishings, are installed we'll have an open house in June where everyone will be invited to come see these pieces up close. More information with specific details will come later. In the meantime, we'll run features in the bulletin describing each piece.  Thank you all for your prayers, support, and patience as we enhance our sanctuary space. I am excited to see this beautiful sacred art come to our parish in order to help us enter more deeply into prayer and the holy sacrifice of the Mass!  Some of the meaning of these symbols. More detailed explanations will come in the bulletin, website, and additional correspondence.  Pelican: A Eucharistic symbol as mother pelicans will actually pluck the flesh from their own body and feed it to their young, giving their life that the children may live.  Phoenix: A mythological bird that rises from the ashes with a word of command like what St. Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.  Peacock: A bird found regularly in the catacombs of Rome symbolizing resurrection. Peacock flesh resists decomposition and was thus adopted by the early Christians as a sign of our faith in Christ resisting the ravages of death.  God bless,  Fr. Chris Visit us: https://www.smarymag.org Support us online: https://membership.faithdirect.net/AZ754

Happy Feast of St. Mary Magdalene! Hello St. Mary Magdalene,  Last week I communicated that we've had a two week delay on our re-opening date, today I'm confirming that we're on track to meet that deadline and confirm that we are planning on re-opening on August 13th and 14th at all Sunday Masses that day. Daily Masses will resume in the full space on August 15th. Thank you again for your patience. To that end, I wanted to share with you all too, in this Flocknote and on our website you'll find a wish list of items for our new sanctuary space. We're asking for these new items in order to ensure consistency, coordination, and coherence of our liturgical items so that they match thematically. It's similar to doing a remodel in your home and needing new furnishings so that the décor matches. Our old liturgical furnishings will be donated to another parish. I have some ideas in mind and am coordinating that in the weeks to come. Also, today, July 22nd is our patronal feast day, St. Mary Magdalene, so I'd be remiss if I didn't share a few thoughts about her. She's often referred to as the “Apostle to the Apostles” a title which denotes her beautiful role and mission as the first witness of our Resurrected Lord. It's not an indicator that she was ordained a priest, she wasn't, but she was given a special role. Our word “Apostle” in English comes from the Greek “Apostelos” which means to send. Biblically we see this word used in the New Testament with a double meaning, indicating either mission or rank (such as Peter and Paul the Apostles). In reference to Mary Magdalene then, it's this first context that the Church applies to Mary Magdalene, that she was sent to announce the Good News of Jesus's Resurrection to the Apostles who were then sent out to proclaim that same message to all the world. Mary Magdalene then, today is venerated in a particular way reminding us that the call to evangelize, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ isn't just a role for bishops, priests, and deacons, but for all the baptized, all those who love Jesus. Therefore, in honor of St. Mary Magdalene, who's an apostle in your life? Who's someone that's bolstered your faith? How can you share your faith with someone today and everyday?  God bless,   Fr. Chris Visit us: https://www.smarymag.org Donate online: https://membership.faithdirect.net/AZ754

Delivered by Richardus and Yosefina from the Roh Kudus Church Labuan Bajo, Diocese of Ruteng, Indonesia. Galatians 1: 6-12; Rs psalm 111: 1-2.7-9.10c; Luke 10: 25-37 BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S REVELATION Our meditation today has the theme: Because of Christ's Revelation. There is a housewife named Maria who has two children who are still in elementary school. She had just been baptized one year ago. Her husband, Mario has been a Catholic since he was a baby. Realizing that her two children must be brought up in Catholicism, Maria always tries to increase her knowledge in the Catholic faith. In a year as a Catholic, the principle she depends on is "because of the revelation of Christ". Since Christ had revealed Himself as the Son who came from the Father, and who called all people to share in His mission, Maria decided to follow that call. Although at the time of marriage she had not been baptized, she had been already aware of the true revelation of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus. Finally she made up her mind to be baptized and to raise her children as good Catholics. Unfortunately, her husband Mario is a bit backward in the perseverance of faith. He is always reprimanded by his wife for forgetting to pray, being lazy to attend Sunday Masses, and being rarely active in Church activities. Usually work load always prevent him from doing that. Maria ponders how important her faith as she says in this way: Jesus reveals Himself more strongly to me as a wife who has just become a Catholic, so that in turn, it is I who is responsible for reviving my husband's fading faith. Saint Paul had experienced the revelation of Jesus Christ which finally made him repent and became a great apostle. He believed that the Son of God's revelation was the real presence of God as a person, and no other power could replace him. The gospel that is preached to all nations is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there is no other kind of gospel than that. The community of Galatians was convinced by Paul of the principle of the revelation of Christ, so that they would hold fast to the Christ they had believed in. That gospel that Saint Paul preached was an expression of a real presence as a person who served and sacrificed himself for others. The Lord Jesus describes Himself in the Gospel as a servant who serves and sacrifices for His fellowmen, namely everyone whom the Father has entrusted to Him. He teaches us the highest form of his own revelation, which is to suffer and die for our salvation. He teaches this way of salvation through the story of the good Samaritan, so that we may do the same as he had done to many. Even to those who are different or who are against us, Jesus teaches us to become good and generous neighbours to them. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord, teach and encourage us to love our neighbour sincerely, just as You love us. Hail Mary full of grace ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

July Sanctuary Update Hello St. Mary Magdalene,  Thanks for tuning in to this week's video. Today is my last sneak peek preview video because we're going to be able to move back into the full space and celebrate Mass in this sanctuary the last weekend of July. Beginning with the Saturday vigil Mass on July 30th, and Sunday Masses on the 31st we'll be back in our full worship space for all weekend and weekday liturgies.  When we move back in you'll see the architectural renovations and the walls primed for our mural work. Our murals are currently being made, they are custom painted and should be installed before Christmas 2022. We're going to continue to use our current altar furnishings in this space for the next several months until our custom altar and furnishings are ready.   Looking around now you can see that they're installing marble in our sanctuary, so enjoy this glimpse of the marble tile. What happens between now and re-opening is the finishing of the marble, installation of carpet and the top of our altar rail. Then, cleaning up the space and resetting chairs and the overall space for Mass. We're also going to be training ushers and clergy on the new procedures for the distribution of Communion, which will take place from the rail. At the rail you'll be able to receive kneeling or standing and, as the Church permits, either on the tongue or on the hand. I'll give more detailed guidance and instructions in the coming weeks.   Looking at the sanctuary now, you may notice some differences compared to the concept design posted in the narthex and on our website. These differences are due to some architectural discrepancies which were not discovered until after demolition. Hence, my team and I have had to make some adjustments along the way, but, they've actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we now have actually more room for artwork in these frieze areas below the arches. I am excited about us moving back in and the great gift this renovation will be to our parish community. This is a beautiful first step in converting our building into a permanent worship space for the glory of the Risen Lord.   I want to again thank all of you for your continued prayers and support for this project and for your patience as we've navigated through these difficulties together, trusting in God's Providence and that He is, as we pray every week, leading our project “day by day to its successful completion.   God bless,   Fr. Chris Visit us: https://www.smarymag.org Donate online: https://membership.faithdirect.net/AZ754

We are pleased to bring a homily by Fr. Francisco Barbeito, SJ, named Sub-Director of the ACU in 1952, Havana. Fr. Barbeito was an exemplary and stern Jesuit. He filled in for Fr. Llorente during the Director's travels, often presiding Sunday Masses. He also regularly directed Belen high schoolers to the ACU if he deemed them to be good candidates with gravitas (de “madera” agrupacional). He served ACU Puerto Rico for a time. This homily from an ACU Miami guardia in 1964 is on St. James the Greater, patron of Spain.

On this Laetare Sunday, in which the joy of Easter can already be glimpsed in the distance, the first reading takes us directly to the first celebration of this feast by Israel in the Promised Land. The journey through the desert was finally over, and the People of God ate for the first time of the fruits of the land that the Lord would place in their hands. It was also the last time they fed on manna, for that was the sustenance of a pilgrim people, and they had finally reached the goal. It must have been a day of great joy for all the children of Israel, to see that God always keeps his promises, that those who put their hope in the Lord are never disappointed. We, however, are still advancing through the desert of Lent, and today the liturgy invites us to joy, contained but profound and beautiful joy, that is born of hope. Like Israel, we too will reach the end of our journey and rest in the Promised Land that is the risen Christ. We need only to follow the path that God himself has traced out for us and that today invites us to allow ourselves to be forgiven by God. St. Paul said, "We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." and this is what Jesus himself reminded us in the parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable we have just heard is found exclusively in the Gospel of St. Luke, so we only hear it at Sunday Masses every three years. Nevertheless, it is one of the most beautiful and relevant pages of Sacred Scripture, because it offers us the most perfect portrait of the Heart of our heavenly Father, masterfully painted by the words of his Only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the story of our life, and I confess that it never ceases to surprise me because in it I always find new riches that I had not considered before. It is a story as deep as the sea and with which we feel so deeply identified because we recognize ourselves in two of its main characters. The first is the younger son. You are that son, and how many times have you turned away from God and made use of the gifts He gave you to wound His good Heart? Our Father never tires of waiting for us. It is the humility of God that made St. Francis exclaim: "Tu sei amore, carità. Tu sei sapienza. Tu sei umiltà. You are love. You are charity. You are wisdom. You are humility.” God is so humble that He accepts it when we treat Him as a second fiddle and abandon Him for other loves or when we make Him suffer when we do not respond to His Love. He always waits for us and persists in His love by accepting the humiliation to which we subject Him when we prefer other things or persons to Him, trusting that we will return to Him, attracted by His Love which is infinite! God's home in which we experience the warmth and joy of a love we do not deserve is His infinite Mercy. This Lent, let us return to Him to console Him and to let love have the last word in our lives. We should also recognize ourselves in the elder son because how often we justify our lack of charity by saying that "we are right!" This is a point that my dear Father Valverde used to underline: the elder brother was right, but he did not have love. When he says to his father: "‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'” Deep down we must grant that he is right, that his Father seems to be very unfair because what the eldest son has said is totally true. It is true, but in that truth there is a lack of love. This son was not on the same wavelength as his father, because his Father does not reason according to the criteria of our human justice, which is always small and imperfect, but rather according to the bottomless depths of his love for us. How many arguments and how many problems in families would disappear if, instead of arguing and wanting to have the last word, we would learn to love more and not seek to always be right! Ah, but for that we must be humble like our Father, and we are very proud and always want to win over our brothers and sisters! I'd like to end with this story. Last February I had to go to Los Angeles to arrange some paperwork at the Spanish Consulate. I finished shortly after eleven o'clock, and went to the Cathedral to try to go to confession there. I arrived before noon. A Mass was starting at 12:10, and I asked about the confession schedule. I was told that there were two hours of confession per week. You can't imagine how sad I was to hear that information, not so much for myself, but for the people of California. In the most important church of that diocese, which is in downtown Los Angeles, a place where people are continually passing through, where there are four priests assigned by the Archbishop to cover the pastoral needs of that community, there were only two hours of confessions. Thanks to God and the generosity of Father Joal and Father Timothy, we have 25 hours of confessions every week here. During Holy Week, we will offer 60 hours of confessions. The words of the Lord in the Gospel come to mind: "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Lk 12:48) Dear brothers and sisters, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God". As St. Bernard says: "God, when he loves us, desires only to be loved." Well then, may we all feel this Lent the joy of our Father's embrace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, may we no longer distance ourselves from true love and may our joy be to live close to the One who loves us without measure.

Deacon Chester is usually seen participating and leading Saturday and Sunday Masses. During the week, he handles several ministries. His area of focus is pastoral care and marriage prep. He is a member of the Simon's Call AIDS Ministry and the Haiti Ministry. Chester is active in interfaith and Archdiocesan organizations and is a member of the Archdiocesan Task Force to End the Death Penalty and the National Black Clergy Caucus. He is a native of Lubbock, Texas and has been at Lourdes since 1977. He was ordained a deacon in February of 2003 at the Cathedral of Christ the King. He is married to Janis Griffin and they have one daughter, Kenya Griffin who directs the Amazing Grace dancers, and a son. He is a professional musician and has performed with the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra.

Father Jim Kelleher, a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, who will be preaching this weekend at all the Sunday Masses at the Basilica. He will be inviting parishioners to reflect on their relationships with the Virgin Mary. He will also be giving away Miraculous Medals for free and making available his Scripture DVD for free-will donations. 

We FINALLY got on the show two of our most requested podcast guests, Molly & Mike Bedics. While they may not be recognizable by name, for anyone who was watching Bishop Dennis Sullivan's live-streamed Sunday Masses during the height of the pandemic, they became local celebrities. The married duo provided the music during these Masses and comment after comment on the broadcasts praised their singing for the joy it brought people during those dark times. Today, our hosts Mary McCusker and Mike Walsh dive a little deeper into their lives, chatting about Mike's role as the Director of the Office of Worship and Christian Initiation for the Diocese of Camden and Molly's role as a special education teacher, their family life, and their how they spend their downtime. Listen to Talking Catholic on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Alexa or at https://talking.catholicstarherald.org/show/talking-catholic. You can also catch us on Domestic Church Media radio Sundays at 11 AM or Mondays at 4 PM https://domesticchurchmedia.org. Follow us on... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkingCatholic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingcatholic Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingcatholic

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis returned to the Vatican today, after spending eleven days in a Rome hospital to recover from colon surgery. The pope stopped to pray at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major on his way to the Vatican. He arrived at his residence shortly before noon Rome time. The Catholic archbishop of Tokyo has asked visiting Olympic athletes and coaches to refrain from attending local Catholic churches, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The city of Tokyo has already enforced a state of emergency two weeks ahead of the Olympic Games, which are scheduled to begin on July 23. Spectators have also been banned from the Olympic sporting events to curb the spread of COVID-19. A dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Masses is still in place in the Tokyo archdiocese, which serves around 100,000 Catholics out of a total population of almost 20 million. More than 220,000 people left the Catholic Church in Germany in 2020, according to official figures released on Wednesday. The number is almost 19% lower than in 2019, when some 272,000 people left the Catholic Church. Pro-abortion protestors blocked a pro-life procession in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday morning. Brooklyn's Witness for Life day of prayer takes place the second Saturday of each month. It includes a rosary procession to the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Brooklyn's bishop said the attempts to silence the procession were very disturbing and disheartening. Today, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. She was the first Native American to be canonized. Known as the "Lily of the Mohawks," Kateri lived a life of holiness and virtue, despite obstacles and opposition within her tribe.

Father Edward 7-4-21 (first Sunday Masses @ new assignment)

Beginning this weekend, I want to begin another series of homilies, which will run through the end of August. I have taken the readings of the Sunday Masses and looked for a thread that is especially present in them. When the homily deals with the readings of a particular day, sometimes the overall perspective, the structure, the relationship between the messages from one Sunday to the next Sunday is lost. When all the readings are read at the same time, one may lose details, but one captures the ideas that are most reiterated or predominant in them. I have been praying about this topic for several weeks now and I have decided to focus on two aspects: the world's rejection of Christ and his disciples, and the Holy Eucharist. If I had to give a title to this series of homilies, I would use the words that Simeon used to describe to Mary, Jesus' mission on earth: "a sign of contradiction". Let us look, for example, at today's readings. In Ezekiel's prophecy, God accuses his people of having rejected him. The Lord calls Israel a rebellious, hard-hearted people who have rebelled against him. In the second reading, St. Paul said that he is content in the midst of insults, suffering, and persecution. That is to say, he takes it for granted that his message will meet with opposition from many, some who will even do violence to him, and in fact, he himself will end up martyred by the sword in Rome. Finally, today's Gospel is the sad story of Christ who on his return to Nazareth is rejected by his own people, who despise him for being the "carpenter". The sacred text tells us that Jesus was surprised by their lack of faith. In the first reading, the message of Yahweh through the prophet is rejected. In the second reading, the Apostle's message is rejected. In today's Gospel, Christ himself is rejected. Rejection, rejection, rejection. History repeats itself without interruption even to this day. You may recall that last Sunday, the Holy Gospel recounted the miracles of the healing of the hemorrhagic woman and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. St. Mark told us that such wonders happened when Jesus arrived by boat from the other shore of Lake Galilee. What had happened on the other shore? Jesus had been rejected by the foreigners. "They begged him to go away from there," says the evangelist (Mk 5:17). Jesus returns to Jewish territory because the foreigners had driven him away. This Sunday, however, the message is not the rejection by foreigners, but the rejection by his own people, his neighbors, his own family. We are going to speak about this topic because I think it is very important. As I said, it will be a recurrent theme in the coming weeks. In today's world, we could use this analogy: the "foreigners" are those who do not call themselves Christians and the family of Jesus and his people are the Church. Christ is rejected by both without distinction. It is true that the Lord will find love in some of his disciples, but for the most part, Jesus will be rejected. As St. John writes at the beginning of his Gospel: "He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him." (Jn 1:11) Our Master was and is a "sign of contradiction". Fidelity to the teaching of the Church in today's world is paid for with scorn, humiliation, disparagement, attacks, caricaturing, mockery, and opposition - even on the part of many believers. The sign of our condition as disciples of the Crucified One is love, and the sign of our fidelity to that condition is the rejection of the world. In other words, we, like Jesus, are either peaceful "signs of contradiction" ready for martyrial fidelity, or we are not Christians. Either we embrace and accept our destiny to suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel and the Church, or we become, in the words of St. Paul, "enemies of the cross of Christ". (Phil 3:18) The homilies in this series will end with two prayers, to be said by those who have the heart and courage to pray them with truth. If you do not agree, if they seem to you an exaggeration, or if they frighten you, or if you do not want to live them, it is better not to say them. Simply listen to them. They were written by St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis of Assisi. I have learned them in Spanish and Italian, and for years I have been saying them every day. They express not what we are, but what we want to become. The first, from St. Ignatius, is this: “in order to imitate and be more actually like Christ our Lord, I want and choose poverty with Christ poor rather than riches, opprobrium with Christ replete with it rather than honors; and to desire to be rated as worthless and a fool for Christ, Who first was held as such, rather than wise or prudent in this world.” The words of St. Francis are: “May the fiery and honey-sweet power of your love, O Lord, wean me from all things under heaven, so that I may die for love of your love, who deigned to die for love of my love.” May the Lord grant us the grace of union with Him in the mystery of His rejection by the world so that we may one day be eternally welcomed into the eternal kingdom of Paradise.

With Every Soldier of the Heavenly Army Announcing the moveable feasts, Epiphany 2020 Note: this essay appeared in Gottesdienst (the print journal) in the Michaelmas 2020 issue. Today would have been my son's sixteenth birthday, and so I would like to share this with our readers today. The Proper Preface is a confession of the unity of the Church - Militant and Triumphant - and a confession of the resurrection of the dead. Requiescat in Pace, Leonidas Beane+. You can subscribe to the print journal here. “Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You, and saying . . .” — THE COMMON PROPER PREFACE “We shall meet, but we shall miss him There will be one vacant chair We shall linger to caress him While we breathe our evening prayer.” — "THE VACANT CHAIR" Our common Proper Preface concludes: “With angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying,…” followed by the Sanctus. It is a confession of our joining together as a great choir: the Church Militant on earth, the Church Triumphant in heaven, along with the hierarchy of the angelic hosts, as we, like Isaiah in Chapter 6, find ourselves around the throne of God singing the thrice-holy Sanctus, bridging heaven and earth, with one foot in time and another in eternity, praising the Lord in preparation for the burning coal of the Eucharist to be placed upon our lips to purge our sins. For those of us whose loved ones have died, the confession of the “company of heaven” is of great comfort, a reminder and confession that our sainted beloved departed of the Church Triumphant are in the Lord's presence—even as are we, as we join with our Lord and with them to breach time and space, as our Lord condescends to commune with us in His body and blood. The conclusion of our Proper Preface comes from the Book of Common Prayer. It seems to correspond with the Latin from the Tridentine Proper Preface of Eastertide, Christmastide, and Ascension (and other feasts): “Et ideo cum angelis et archangelis, cum thronis et dominationibus, cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus, hymnum gloriae tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes . . . … [(And so with angels and archangels, with Tthrones and Ddominions, and with every soldier of the heavenly army, we sing a hymn to Your glory, evermore saying . . .])” This gives us a more militant picture of the heavenly hosts (“hosts” meaning “armies,” translating the Hebrew “Sabaoth”). We often think of the Church on earth as the Church Militant—and so we are. We wage war against the world, the devil, and our sinful flesh as we live here in time in the fallen order. We think of the saints in heaven as the Church Triumphant—and so they are. In Christ, they have triumphed over the world, the devil, and the sinful flesh, even as they await the consummation, the resurrection, and the great reunion between the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant in eternity. But this doesn't mean that the saints in heaven are not taking part in the battle, for the saints in heaven pray for us, as we confess in Apology 21:8: “[C]oncerning the saints we concede that, just as, when alive, they pray for the Church universal in general, so in heaven they pray for the Church in general.” And so we are comforted not only that we join with our Lord and with the company of heaven in the Divine Service, we can also rejoice in the prayers of the departed saints, our unity with them in the great Una Sancta, and the protection of the angels for which we pray, evening and morning. To the unbelieving world, death is the final victor. It claims everyone. It is non-negotiable and irrevocable. It lurks about us for our entire lives. It strikes, sometimes suddenly, always painfully, at times tragically, and it separates us from our loved ones. It creates a crisis for those who wish to see transcendence and meaning, when all they can muster is materialism and lack of purpose. The fear of death creates a sense of spiritual nihilism and material hedonism. People desperately look for meaning in transient pleasures, as evidenced by the recent fads in funeral practice, including the more recent designs etched into tombstones. Unbelievers look for a sense of a metaphorical “eternal life” in the form of our beloved departed “living on in our hearts.” Non-Christian (and sadly, some Christian) believers in an afterlife may seek after signs and engage in superstitions—or worse yet, partake in séances and spiritualism, real or imagined, to seek communion with their loved ones. But we Christians have the revelation of God's Word that we human beings are both material and spiritual, that mankind was created in God's image, that we are beloved of the Lord and redeemed by Jesus Christ at the cross, that we are baptized into Christ, and that we are nourished by His very flesh and blood. And that is where the real communion happens—where eternity breaks into time, where the spiritual is enfleshed in the material, where Christ is central in the Church's adoration of Christ, and the Church's union with Christ. Sadly, even Christian people fall prey to the sentimentality of the world – especially in our own cultural reality of emotionalism. But this maudlin feelings-based version of Christianity is not new. There is a sad poem from the War Between the States that wallows in self-pity over the loss of a son during the conflict. It is called “The Vacant Chair.” It points to the constant reminder of the vacant chair that brings sadness and grief to the family, even in the midst of their prayers. The poem, which was later turned into a song, never mentions the resurrection, the reunion that we as believers confess, and certainly no objective hope of the mercy of God as conveyed in Holy Baptism, the Word, or the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The poem is all about the grief, and is devoid of hope. I've always loathed the song. Admittedly, some of my bias is probably attributable to the fact that it is a Yankee composition, but the main reason is that it entirely misses the point of the Christian faith itself. As Gottesdienst readers may know, my fifteen-year-old son took his own life in May. He had just found out that an activity that was very important to him had been cancelled because of fears of coronavirus. As was the case with all of us, his whole social life had already been altered as the lockdown continued to be extended. This was a spontaneous act, an attack of the devil upon one of the Lord's baptized, a pious young man who faithfully served seven years, twice a week, in the chancel with me. He knew the Scriptures and had a solid faith on this side of the grave. This was a spontaneous act that the Lord in His ineffable and infinite wisdom permitted to happen. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. There is a vacant chair in our chancel: Leo's chair. He served as our acolyte, our crucifier, and as one entrusted to process with the Gospel Book. He assisted me and the deacon as we distributed the Holy Elements. During the distribution, he reverently did what needed to be done in the chancel without direction, always with a reverence and a piety that wordlessly confessed his vocation at that time and place. In some ways, Leo was like a subdeacon for our congregation. He was a cadet officer in the Civil Air Patrol (the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary), and carried out his ceremonial duties with martial confidence: done with excellence, and yet without an overbearing military rigidity. He truly understood what the word “reverence” means, and most certainly does even in eternity. His absence on this side of the grave has left a gaping hole during our parish's Divine Service, and indeed, a literal vacant chair in the chancel. And yet, he remains present with our Lord, even as are we. Our Altar Book is on the Epistle side of the altar, just a few feet from Leo's vacant chair. While I chant the Proper Preface, I see the vacant chair clearly in my peripheral vision. The Proper Preface for Sunday Masses contains references to the resurrection (“who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life”), which, juxtaposed with the vacant chair, is a poignant reminder of the promises of God. And the words,: “and all the company of heaven—which is our shorthand in English for the confession of the presence of “every soldier of the heavenly army—is a confession of the presence of the departed saints. The Proper Preface for Eastertide is even more explicit:  And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Rather than filling my heart with maudlin anguish, when I see the vacant chair and I defiantly chant that ancient confession of the unity of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant around our Lord who is physically present with us in Word and Sacrament, who has destroyed death, who is risen, and whose resurrection points us to the “resurrection of the body and the life everlasting” of all who believe and are baptized, of all of us whose sins are covered by the blood of the Lamb, of all of our Lord's redeemed who eat His flesh and drink His blood—I am comforted with the objective reality of our Lord's victory over sin, death, and hell. Satan wins battles, but he has lost the war. And even his casualties are but temporary. Our liturgy is filled with such gems: little confessions that perhaps often go unnoticed. But when we need to hear them, they are there for us. Without fail, our merciful Lord speaks to us. We do well to listen. For “while we breathe our evening prayer,” we certainly grieve for our departed loved ones. And yet, our prayers are answered by the Lord who is victorious, who has triumphed over the devil, whose blood shed upon the cross redeems us, even as it is miraculously given to us as the “medicine of immortality.” And unlike the poem, the “we” isn't just our family that “will meet” and “miss him,” but the “we” that meets is the entire Church, “on earth as it is in heaven.” And yes, we miss him, but we also are in his presence and the presence of all the saints. And the Proper Preface confesses the resurrection, which gives us hope and joy and the promise of a reunion in the flesh that will never end. The Divine Service is not maudlin, but rather joyful. It is not devoid of hope, but to the contrary, overflows with hope like the cup in the 23rd Twenty-third  Psalm. In this context, the vacant chair is a reminder of the soldiers of the heavenly army, the confessors who are triumphant, the redeemed in the bosom of the Lamb, the departed who await our arrival, those who intercede for the Church, and those for whom no prayers are necessary. The evening prayers that we breathe are songs of thankfulness and praise, of the Lamb's victory, of the Christian's union with Christ's death and burial, and his union with Christ's resurrection and newness of life (Rom. 6:4–5). We, the Church—Militant and Triumphant—sing our Thrice Holy in unison, praising the Trinity in Unity, unified, but with a blended harmony. What separates the temporal reality of the vacant chair from the eternal reality of the throne from which our Lord rules is a thin veil, a veil that in reality has been torn asunder by Him who cried out in triumph, “It is finished!”   Portrait by Tiffany Leigeber

The show is produced by Stewardship, A mission of Faith. The Show hosts discuss the Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday Masses.

Show hosts discuss the Gospel Reading for the upcoming Sunday Masses.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast is an allegory to going to Sunday Masses and receiving the Holy Eucharist. If someone important (like the Pope) invited us to go to a party, wouldn't we be excited to go? Every week, God invites us to celebrate the Mass and give Thanks to Him for sending His only Son to die for our sins. We give Thanks to Him for loving us so much. And when we seek His Kingdom first and give Him priority, everything else falls into place. And we can stand firm on His promise in Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Lay Catholics don’t get to see their bishop very often but I remember when I was growing up, I had always admired my bishop like a familiar father figure but simultaneously felt like he was high above my level. This episode is the fifth of my vocational series, where I ask my guests to pick a song relating to their vocational discernment and to answer these seven simple questions: 1. Please introduce yourself and how we got to know each other. 2. Explain your song of choice and how it relates to your discernment. 3. Please explain your vocation in general and what it means to you. 4. How did you discern your vocation in general? Were there any challenges? 5. Why did you pursue your vocation with this diocese/order/person in particular? 6. How has your faith changed since entering this vocation? 7. If you could advise your 18-year-old self about your vocation, what would you say? One day, I emailed the Archdiocese of Toronto and was absolutely delighted when I got to interview the only bishop I ever remembered having … Thomas Cardinal Collins! Cardinal Collins is a man of deep faith and wisdom and has always felt a strong connection with his priests and bishops. From his high school teacher Fr. John Newstead to the bishops of his home Diocese of Hamilton—Bishop Lloyd Ryan, Bishop Paul Reding, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Tonnos—and his bishop in London, John Sherlock. Cardinal Collins was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Hamilton before being appointed rector of the seminary in London (Ontario), consecrated Bishop of St. Paul (Alberta), Bishop of Edmonton, and finally Archbishop of Toronto. I was surprised by how Cardinal Collins discerned his call to the priesthood and found his assessment of the times and his term as bishop to be very insightful. During COVID-19, the Archdiocese is live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses. You can find their website at https://www.archtoronto.org/. The song you heard in the intro was “Wayfaring Stranger”, by The Quebe Sisters and the song Cardinal Collins chose was the “O God Beyond All Praising”, as performed here by the Villanova Pastoral Musicians. If you have any friends and family that you think would like this podcast, please share wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can drop a comment or question for me to answer in a future episode at theholycatholicbrew@gmail.com. Lay Catholics don’t get to see their bishop very often but I remember when I was growing up, I had always admired my bishop like a familiar father figure but simultaneously felt like he was high above my level. This episode is the fifth of my vocational series, where I ask my guests to pick a song relating to their vocational discernment and to answer these seven simple questions: 1. Please introduce yourself and how we got to know each other. 2. Explain your song of choice and how it relates to your discernment. 3. Please explain your vocation in general and what it means to you. 4. How did you discern your vocation in general? Were there any challenges? 5. Why did you pursue your vocation with this diocese/order/person in particular? 6. How has your faith changed since entering this vocation? 7. If you could advise your 18-year-old self about your vocation, what would you say? One day, I emailed the Archdiocese of Toronto and was absolutely delighted when I got to interview the only bishop I ever remembered having … Thomas Cardinal Collins! Cardinal Collins is a man of deep faith and wisdom and has always felt a strong connection with his priests and bishops. From his high school teacher Fr. John Newstead to the bishops of his home Diocese of Hamilton—Bishop Lloyd Ryan, Bishop Paul Reding, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Tonnos—and his bishop in London, John Sherlock. Cardinal Collins was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Hamilton before being appointed rector of the seminary in London (Ontario), consecrated Bishop of St. Paul (Alberta), Bishop of Edmonton, and finally Archbishop of Toronto. I was surprised by how Cardinal Collins discerned his call to the priesthood and found his assessment of the times and his term as bishop to be very insightful. During COVID-19, the Archdiocese is live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses. You can find their website at https://www.archtoronto.org/. The song you heard in the intro was “Wayfaring Stranger”, by The Quebe Sisters and the song Cardinal Collins chose was the “O God Beyond All Praising”, as performed here by the Villanova Pastoral Musicians. If you have any friends and family that you think would like this podcast, please share wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can drop a comment or question for me to answer in a future episode at theholycatholicbrew@gmail.com.

Lay Catholics don't get to see their bishop very often but I remember when I was growing up, I had always admired my bishop like a familiar father figure but simultaneously felt like he was high above my level. This episode is the fifth of my vocational series, where I ask my guests to pick a song relating to their vocational discernment and to answer these seven simple questions: 1. Please introduce yourself and how we got to know each other. 2. Explain your song of choice and how it relates to your discernment. 3. Please explain your vocation in general and what it means to you. 4. How did you discern your vocation in general? Were there any challenges? 5. Why did you pursue your vocation with this diocese/order/person in particular? 6. How has your faith changed since entering this vocation? 7. If you could advise your 18-year-old self about your vocation, what would you say? One day, I emailed the Archdiocese of Toronto and was absolutely delighted when I got to interview the only bishop I ever remembered having … Thomas Cardinal Collins! Cardinal Collins is a man of deep faith and wisdom and has always felt a strong connection with his priests and bishops. From his high school teacher Fr. John Newstead to the bishops of his home Diocese of Hamilton—Bishop Lloyd Ryan, Bishop Paul Reding, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Tonnos—and his bishop in London, John Sherlock. Cardinal Collins was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Hamilton before being appointed rector of the seminary in London (Ontario), consecrated Bishop of St. Paul (Alberta), Bishop of Edmonton, and finally Archbishop of Toronto. I was surprised by how Cardinal Collins discerned his call to the priesthood and found his assessment of the times and his term as bishop to be very insightful. During COVID-19, the Archdiocese is live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses. You can find their website at https://www.archtoronto.org/. The song you heard in the intro was “Wayfaring Stranger”, by The Quebe Sisters and the song Cardinal Collins chose was the “O God Beyond All Praising”, as performed here by the Villanova Pastoral Musicians. If you have any friends and family that you think would like this podcast, please share wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can drop a comment or question for me to answer in a future episode at theholycatholicbrew@gmail.com. Lay Catholics don't get to see their bishop very often but I remember when I was growing up, I had always admired my bishop like a familiar father figure but simultaneously felt like he was high above my level. This episode is the fifth of my vocational series, where I ask my guests to pick a song relating to their vocational discernment and to answer these seven simple questions: 1. Please introduce yourself and how we got to know each other. 2. Explain your song of choice and how it relates to your discernment. 3. Please explain your vocation in general and what it means to you. 4. How did you discern your vocation in general? Were there any challenges? 5. Why did you pursue your vocation with this diocese/order/person in particular? 6. How has your faith changed since entering this vocation? 7. If you could advise your 18-year-old self about your vocation, what would you say? One day, I emailed the Archdiocese of Toronto and was absolutely delighted when I got to interview the only bishop I ever remembered having … Thomas Cardinal Collins! Cardinal Collins is a man of deep faith and wisdom and has always felt a strong connection with his priests and bishops. From his high school teacher Fr. John Newstead to the bishops of his home Diocese of Hamilton—Bishop Lloyd Ryan, Bishop Paul Reding, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Tonnos—and his bishop in London, John Sherlock. Cardinal Collins was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Hamilton before being appointed rector of the seminary in London (Ontario), consecrated Bishop of St. Paul (Alberta), Bishop of Edmonton, and finally Archbishop of Toronto. I was surprised by how Cardinal Collins discerned his call to the priesthood and found his assessment of the times and his term as bishop to be very insightful. During COVID-19, the Archdiocese is live-streaming daily and Sunday Masses. You can find their website at https://www.archtoronto.org/. The song you heard in the intro was “Wayfaring Stranger”, by The Quebe Sisters and the song Cardinal Collins chose was the “O God Beyond All Praising”, as performed here by the Villanova Pastoral Musicians. If you have any friends and family that you think would like this podcast, please share wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can drop a comment or question for me to answer in a future episode at theholycatholicbrew@gmail.com.

Reading by Felicia Husada and meditation by Odiri Meggison STONE HOUSE VERSUS SAND HOUSE The theme for our meditation today is: Stone House Versus Sand House. When Jesus spoke about a house or building that was not strong enough against rain, floods and hurricanes that would destroy it, He was in line with the thought of the writer of Proverbs who said: "When hurricanes hit, sinners are destroyed, but the righteous will last forever" (Prov 10.25). There were two mothers who were sharing stories about their children who are currently studying in the city. Each lives in a different city. Parents and their respective families in the village really hope that their children are diligent in their spiritual life even though they must also study with all their efforts. While still at home and before going to college, they were so committed in personal prayers, family prayer together, Sunday Masses and other Catholic youth activities. When they are already far from home, the story has become different. One of those two students has a happy story. The atmosphere in the boarding house where he lives, bonding with friends and environment in campus lead him to grow better in the spiritual aspect. His personal prayer habit becomes stronger and he involves also in youth activities in the parish. He attends Mass every Sunday, even he goes also for the daily Masses. This student is a spiritual stone house, as described by Jesus in today's Gospel. The story about the other student is very different. His environment in the city has transformed him into a young person who is out of his family's expectation. He becomes a hard-tempered person and he also involved in crimes. Several times he was targeted by the security forces but he always escaped. His spiritual life is in danger. He recognizes himself as a believer who has faith in Christ, but his real life was very much in conflict with his faith. This young man is an example of a sandhouse building that is also illustrated by today's Gospel. Faith that grows as a stone house is a life lived by believers with two important characteristics, namely listening to the words of God and practicing them. Instead those who listen but do not put them into practice, belong to the life of faith as a house made of sand. In our lives, there are often these two types of people live together in one family, community, environment, and the Church. Here the real test takes place. Each is trying to win. If the stone house of faith becomes stronger, the power and glory of God will rule our entire lives. But if the sand house is stronger, then disasters will soon hit our lives, such as the bitter experience of the Israelites who were defeated and put in to exiled in Babylon. Let's pray. In the name of ... O Lord, bless us with the growth of our healthy and mature faith. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

On "EWTN News Nightly" tonight: The Feast of the Ascension is the 40th day after Easter Sunday, which commemorates the Ascension of Christ into heaven. We look at a 15th-century depiction of Christ’s Ascension. Plus: As more Americans file for unemployment benefits, lawmakers debate whether there should be another coronavirus aid package. We are on Capitol Hill. And how one website in Italy is helping the faithful stay safe as public Sunday Masses resume.

In the May 20, 2020 recording of A View from the Top, Bishop Parkes announces the resuming of Sunday Masses at Pentecost, a discussion of the recent video roundtable on the document Laudato Si, diocesan and parish finances during the pandemic, and his encounters with Saint Pope John Paul II.

God tested his people in the desert. As we begin this time without Sunday Masses, however long that may be, and as the pandemic continues to spread, we are being tested. Will we continue to trust in the Lord?

For most people, the word “Lent” conjures up images of fasting from sweets, alcohol, or meat on Fridays, or maybe saying a few more prayers here and there between Sunday Masses.  Prayer and fasting are two of the practices we intentionally incorporate into our Lenten practice.  But what about that third practice, almsgiving?  How can we better incorporate acts of charity into the 40 days of Lent?    Our guest today chronicled one Lent in which she took almsgiving very seriously - although she wrote about it with a good deal of humor.  Kerry Weber, who is an Executive Editor at America Media, authored the 2014 book Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job.  Kerry is married with two children and, since 2012, has served as Mercy Associate.  She joins us today to talk about finding God through works of mercy. 

Bishop Daly and the vicars are back for the new year. Before the liturgical season of Christmas finishes out, our hosts tackle the Creed. We say the Nicene Creed at most Sunday Masses; where did it come from, and why is such a statement of faith created by a council over 1500 years ago still used? Bishop and the vicars dive in as they continue a series on the parts of the Mass.  Join Bishop Thomas Daly, Fr. Darrin Connall (Vicar General), Fr. Brian Mee (Vicar for Finance), and Fr. Pat Kerst (Vicar for Priests) as they talk about faith, life, and challenging issues of the day; always keeping in mind the joy our faith inspires.  Music: Pedro Versus the World - Jingle Punks https://youtu.be/84eq146KLU8 Cover Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NiceneCreed#/media/File:Nicaeaicon.jpg Also heard on AM 970 & FM 106.1 Sacred Heart Radio

The liturgy through the season of Advent provides events and characters to meditate upon. We are joined by Hebrew Testament prophets in our journey who express the hopes and longings of the generations of people for the Messiah to come. In the weekday Masses, Isaiah provides the main voice, but in our Sunday Masses, we have heard Jeremiah, Baruch, Zephaniah and today Micah. We have seen how the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and […]

Drew decides to teach piano. James trolls per usual. Parker gets annihilated. Christian likes ducks.

There's no recording for March 1, since I cancalled Sunday Masses due to heavy snow.  Today we are introduced to the scandal which leads to Jesus' crucifixion: the scandal of his affirming that he is the Son of God.

Summary of today's show: There aren't many priests in the Archdiocese of Boston who can say they felt the call to the priesthood in Blessed John Paul's native Poland and none as young as Fr. Adrian Milik. Born in Poland, but raised in the United States from eight years old, Fr. Milik was studying in Krakow when John Paul II died and it was then that the Holy Spirit called him to become a priest in Boston. Fr. Milik joins Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor to talk about his first three weeks as a priest, the whirlwind that he's been in since the Ordination Mass, and the experience of bring the sacraments to the people for the first time. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Today's guest(s): Fr. Adrian Milik Today's topics: New Priest Profile: Fr. Adrian Milik 1st segment: Scot and Fr. Chris caught up on their time off last week for the Independence Day holiday and their plans for the summer. Today's guest is Fr. Adrian Milik, newly ordained just last month by Cardinal Seán. Fr. Chris noted that Fr. Adrian has a Polish background like himself. Scot said he's been assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Bridgewater. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Adrian to the show. He asked Fr. Adrian how his first few weeks have been. Fr. Adrian said he moved in to the parish the week after the ordination, met the pastor and parish, and still had many family and friends in town for the ordination. Fr. Chris walked through all the various elements of the busy week surrounding ordination from the rehearsal on Thursday before to reporting to the parish the following Thursday. Fr. Adrian said what stood out for him was the moment his hands were anointed by Cardinal Seán and being told that they have been set aside for sacred things. It means everything you do know is different. They talked about the custom of giving the cloth used to wipe the oil on the priests' hands to their mothers for them to be buried with as a sign that they gave birth not just to a son, but also gave to the Church a priest. Fr. Adrian said it's part of the symbolism that the priest conveys something of God to the people. Fr. Chris said priests also give their first confessional stole to their fathers. Fr. Adrian said he gave these items to his parents before they went back to Poland. Fr. Adrian said he really felt God's presence during the Mass, even when trying to make sure he had the right response for his part. He felt like he was being led, like God was in control. Scot another elements that stands out is the number of hugs given by all the priests in the cathedral at the sign of peace, the laying on of hands, and after the Mass. Fr. Adrian said he was surprised by the manner in which each priest lays hands on the heads was so different from one to another priest and reflected their personality. The same way with the sign of peace. Fr. Adrian said the moment when the cardinal receives the blessing and kisses his hands was odd at first, but very moving and an indicator of the change of reality in him. Scot asked about his first two Masses, concelebrating the rest of the ordination Mass and then his first Mass the next day. Fr. Adrian say when praying the Mass for the first time as a priest and surrounded by other priests, he felt their support for him. It was a powerful experience that didn't sink in at the time. His first Mass was at St. Eulalia in Winchester, which was his parents' parish for many years. They started the Mass with incense and he also decided to use the sprinkling rite for the beginning of Mass. While he was going through the church with the water, the thurible was in the sacristy with a very low ceiling and that caused the fire alarms to go off. The pastor made an announcement to ask everyone to evacuate until after the firefighters cleared the building. They were able to get back in the church after a few minutes. They didn't use incense the rest of the Mass. Fortunately, it eased some of the tension he'd been feeling. On Friday before the ordination, he received his first assignment from Cardinal Seán at a dinner for ordinandi. Fr. Adrian said each man met with the cardinal in his office after dinner. They went in one by one and received the envelope with their assignment. He said he spoke to the cardinal about the assignment, that he'd heard a lot of good things about the parish and they discussed the presence of Bridgewater State College. He encouraged Fr. Adrian. Fr. Chris asked his sense of the parish. Fr. Adrian said it's a very warm parish and the people have been generous in welcoming him and inviting him and the pastor and the seminarian there for the summer into their homes. Fr. Chris asked if his expectations of priesthood were different from the reality. Fr. Adrian said he's surprised by how natural it feels. He's not nervous in celebrating Mass nor is he nervous in being in a new place. He's had an opportunity to celebrate Mass in a number of places in that first week after ordination, so it's been an opportunity to learn and grow. Scot asked if he feels pressure to learn all the names. Fr. Adrian said he's not particularly good at learning names, so he's trying to do his best. He's been grateful that they've been so understanding. Fr. Chris said one of the first Masses for the newly ordained is at Regina Cleri, the home for retired priests and those in physical or other rehabilitation. He was happy to be with these men who have given so much and are examples of faithful service to the people of Boston. There's something great about being in a full chapel with everyone who is concelebrating the Mass together. They also had lunch with them after and they talked about the changes they've seen in their lives and the accumulated wisdom they've gathered. Fr. Adrian said his father is a quiet person, but his mother is more demonstrative and both showed how proud they are of him. His mother had a lot of good advice for him and his father said a lot through a couple of words and a hug. His mother was very glad to be able to be there and not just speak to him about the priesthood, but also to say goodbye to Boston and to give him to Boston. 3rd segment: Scot asked Fr. Adrian when he first had a sense he had calling. When he was 8, his dad got a job in San Diego and they were parishioners at Our Mother of Confidence Parish. He was a regular Mass-goer but he hadn't yet owned his own faith. When he was in the confirmation program, the youth minister conducted a retreat. Fr. Adrian was saying some prayers and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in him that immobilized him. He talked to God and felt God's presence in him. He felt peace and direction in his heart. That was a life changing moment in which he realized God wasn't a concept, but is a Person. His faith came alive after that. His prayer was no longer a series of negotiations, but a real conversation. When he was in college, he was invited to a Come-and-See Day for the Diocese of San Diego at the seminary. It felt right, but he wasn't quite ready at that point. After he graduated college, he went back to Poland to do his Master's degree at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, where Pope John Paul II was a college student before World War II. Fr. Chris talked about the depth of the expression of Catholic faith in Krakow and how the presence of John Paul II is felt there. Fr. Adrian said he was in Krakow when John Paul died in 2005. The university cancelled classes for the week. The street in front of the archbishop's house was completely covered in candles. They talked about other ways t he love for John Paul expressed itself, including soccer hooligans who would normally be at each others' throats, standing arm in arm. Fr. Adrian said his experience there at the time was definitely an influence in pushing him forward on the way to the priesthood. He said when he was in San Diego, he wasn't in a particularly Catholic environment, which made it difficult to hear his call as he was distracted by his surroundings. Meanwhile, in Krakow most of his friends were involved in Catholic student groups and it was a very different environment that was very much shaped by John Paul II. He recalls that the Sunday Masses at the church would be filled 15 minutes before it began and people would be lined up outside the door. Meanwhile, his parents had moved to Boston for work. So he started to pray about what to do when he finished his Master's degree. At the time in Krakow he went to see a French monk speak about being open to the Holy Spirit. He shared his experience of the truth of the Holy Spirit he knew, so Fr. Adrian prayed about where God was calling him to experience the truth in his life. At the time he was thinking about going for a PhD in history or looking for a job in the US. Those options left him unease and anxiety, but he prayed about applying to seminary, there was just peace. He spoke to both San Diego and Boston dioceses, and felt God calling him to Boston. Fr. Chris said every priest preaches one homily, just in different ways. He asked Fr. Adrian what is his one homily. Fr. Adrian said he tends to go back to God's love and mercy and the importance of the sacraments, especially Confession. In Krakow, he regularly visited the Divine Mercy shrine and that Divine Mercy has been present throughout his life. We need to remember that God loves and forgives us so much. He's already been able to hear confessions at his new parish. Fr. Adrian said St. Thomas has Masses at 7am and 9am during the week; on Saturday at 4pm; and on Sunday, 7:45, 10am, and noon Mass. Also St. Basil Chapel at 10am at Bridgewater State college. The noon Mass is the Life Teen Mass. During the school year, there is an evening Mass at St. Basil's.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chip Hines Links from today's show: Today's topics: Pastoral Planning consultations Summary of today's show: Scot Landry and Fr. Chip Hines, the pastor of two parishes in Wrentham and Plainville, discuss the progress of the pastoral planning consultations in the Archdiocese, what the current proposals are, and the rationale behind them. They also discuss this upcoming Sunday's Gospel reading. 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chip back to the show. Fr. Chip is now pastor of two parishes and he's been busy with his parochial vicar on retreat. They will be discussing the progress of pastoral planning consultations, especially Phase 2, and how it's being accepted in the Archdiocese. 2nd segment: Scot said the Pastoral Planning consultation kicked off formally in this effort to put a recommendation before groups in order to get feedback to refine a final recommendation for Cardinal Sean later this year. It started with a convocation of priests in December, sharing principles. Phase 2 was proposing parish groupings. Phase 3 is sharing it with various interest groups. Scot said back in December heard the principles which is to provide more resources for parishes and help them thrive and grow by banding together. Fr. Chip said he was interested by the proposal because it's a unique way of going about this kind of work they are thinking outside the box. He was already pastoring two parishes so he's on the front line of all this. He thinks there's been a generally positive response from priests. Some may be concerned at what it means exactly, but he thinks the archdiocese is taking those concerns into account. Secondly, people are worried what it means for the jobs of those who work in parishes. Scot said some of what was share in the Phase 1 consultation was that 50 of the 291 parishes already share a pastor with another parish. Msgr. Bill Fay, co-chair of the pastoral planning commission, said it hasn't been done looking at the macro situation of the Archdiocese, looking at the situation of the entire archdiocese. We want to get ahead of the shrinking of the available priests over the next five years. Fr. Chip said he sits on the priest personnel board and when they make new assignments they often consider whether the new pastor can take of more than one parish. That's good, but it's not the culture of planning that Cardinal Seán wants. Scot said Cardinal Seán is trying to make that it ties to the strategic priorities he's put in place, including strengthening parishes as primary communities of faith. Scot said the commission on December 5 said the proposal is not a proposal to close or merge parishes. Scot said that's been often misunderstood in secular media. It's also not a proposal to close churches within parishes or to restructure parishes. It's a proposal to reorganize and regroup parish staffing and how priests are organized to serve parishes. Scot said back in the 1950s parishes had pastors who already served 20 years in parishes, a senior curate, a lot of junior curates, a lot of religious sisters and then a couple of lay employees, like a maintenance man. Now many of the parish staff have become lay professionals. Scot said even if nothing was done, most priests would be pastors of more than one parish in five years. Fr. Chip said the Archdiocese is very big in the numbers of people and the number of resources, including buildings. Scot said the reason for Pastoral Service Teams is it consolidates in order to have one pastor with one team for the collaborative. Fr. Chip said the process will cause some angst, but once we're through it, this will be great for parishes. It's also important to note the increasing professional of parish staff members. They emphasized that this is still a proposal. One of the proposals is the Pastoral Collaborative with a Pastoral Service Team. The collaborative has one pastor, one parochial vicar, one finance council, one pastoral council. The Pastoral Service Teams consolidate services. For example, they can bring together three different DREs and they would become DRE for children, one for teens and one for adults. No one necessarily has to lose their job. This means they can focus on expanding services. It can also helps pastors move beyond the focus on administrative trivia to be free for evangelization. Key questions include how the pastors will be chosen for the new PSTs. Some criticisms have been aired in the media. On the choosing of parish staffs, people are assuming a lot of people losing their jobs, but people will have the opportunity to expand their roles. 3rd segment: Scot said there's no perfect way to group parishes. Fr. Chip emphasized that the proposed groupings are not a done deal. The parishes were grouped by six criteria: Geographic proximity. In addition to being in the same town, they also considered sharing school systems. Combined weekly offertory of $500,000 per year. They're looking for income for mission, not maintenance. Sufficient other income to cover remaining operating expenses. An average of 1,600 Mass attendees per weekend in the pastoral collaborative. 1,600 was chosen as the basis for parish size based on how many a pastor can serve. Current sacramental index and what kinds of sacraments involved. They discussed the unique situation of St. Paul, Cambridge wit ha parish, the Harvard Catholic student center, and the choir school so it serves essentially three different parishes. Another parish recommended as a standalone parish is St. Bonaventure in Plymouth. The town is so big and growing so fast that it makes sense that for current and projected demographics stays as a standalone parish. Most of the groupings are 2s and 3s. Some are as many as four. Eleven parishes are recommended to standalone. Fr. Chip's two parishes are already in the proposed grouping. They will be having meetings in any case to discuss the pastoral planning process, involving as many people as possible. Even in this cluster, they will see a lot of change. They currently have two pastoral councils, two finance councils, and two staffs. Fr. Chip said there will be growing pains. He has two deacons and their roles will continue to evolve. They will have to sit down as a staff and understand how to make this work. They've already changed the Mass schedule so that one priest could do all the Sunday Masses if necessary. They have two 8am Masses and two 4pm Masses. They moved one Mass, cancelled another and tweaked others. A lot of the people at the parish that lost the 4pm Mass went to the other parish and now the moved Mass now has a lot more younger families coming at 5:30. Scot said there is a fear that people will stop going to Mass when you changed the schedule. Fr. Chip said it doesn't look like he's lost people, but just that they're going to different parishes. He does tell them they can put their envelopes for the home parish in the other parish's collection. Change is hard and some are upset, but that's a small group. Most people understand we have to change. Scot said he hopes we all step back despite the changes and see how blessed we are by the number of parishes and churches and priests and deacons and religious. It's awesome we can find a Mass within about 20 minutes in any half hour of the day on Sunday. There are people in other parts of the country who have to drive an hour to get to one possible Sunday Mass. Fr. Chip said he hopes that more people are evangelized and we end up breaking up the collaboratives eventually because they are full of people and priests. 4th segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. This is the last Sunday before the beginning of Lent. When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” -he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” Scot recalled last week's Gospel in which Jesus cures a leper. Before curing this man, he cures the man's soul by taking away his sins. Jesus is saying if you want to be healed, it's more important to be healed of your sins before seeking healing for your soul. Lent is a good time to clean out that junk from our souls. Fr. Chip said sin paralyzes us and makes us stiff. God wants us to be animated in what we do.We need to look at ourselves and ask what's holding me back, keeping me less inclined from doing something good? Scot said Jesus is surrounded by a large crowd and people who want to see Jesus do some crazy things: Hanging from trees, risking death. In this case, they open the roof and Jesus sees it for the desperate love that it is. Some people responded negatively though. They accuse Jesus of blaspheming even though the fruits of Jesus' ministry were so clear. Jesus wants to cure their blindness that prevents them from seeing how God loves them. Fr. Chip said we still have those among us who are saying those same things. Scot said the leper last week didn't do what Jesus told him and this paralytic does what Jesus told him to do: Pick up your mat and go home.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Carlos Suarez from Christ the King, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St. Edith Stein Parishes, Brockton; and Fr. John D'Arpino from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Bridgewater * [George Martell's photos of the presbyteral ordination Mass](http://www.flickr.com/photos/bostoncatholic/sets/72157626770315180/) * [The Pilot story on the ordination Mass](http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=13386) * [Christ the King, Brockton](http://ctkp.org/) * [Our Lady of Lourdes, Brockton](http://ourladyoflourdes-brockton.com/) * [St. Edith Stein, Brockton](http://stedithsteinparish.org/) * [St. Thomas Aquinas, Bridgewater](http://stthomasaquinas.com/) **Today's topics:** Meeting two of the newest priests in the Archdiocese, Fr. John D'Arpino and Fr. Carlos Suarez **A summary of today's show:** Fr. Carlos Suarez and Fr. John D'Arpino talk with Scot and Fr. Chris about their first weeks as newly ordained priests, their experience of the ordination Mass, celebrating the first Masses, and moving into their new parish assignments. Also, their own journeys of discerning  their vocations to the priesthood. **1st segment:** Scot welcomes Fr. chris back to the show. He has been looking forward to this show since May 21 when 6 men were ordained for Boston. Fr. Chris has been to other ordinations as well, including the Dioceses of Worcester and Springfield, where men who studied at St. John Seminary will serve. On Friday, they also had a catechetical certificate graduation. The program educate catechists to know more about their faith in order to work in parishes and share the faith. In Scot's experience, when a newly ordained priest is assigned to a parish, it re-energizes that parish. Fr. Chris said it's a reminder that the Church is ever ancient and ever new, always young. On Pentecost, we're reminded that the Holy Spirit re-energizes us. That your first love is your greatest love is true for priests as well: There will be no parish like their first parish. **2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Chris welcome Fr. Carlos and Fr. John to the show. Scot asked Fr. John what it was like during the ordination ceremony after his years of formation. Fr. John said during the moment when Cardinal Seán asked him to pledge his obedience was a highlight for him. He remembers how peaceful he was during the whole ordination and was able to pray. The one moment that sticks out for him is the prayer that the priest prays during the Lamb of God and he suddenly realized he needed to say it. ALso during the Litany of the Saints, it touched him to think of praying with everyone in the cathedral, but also everyone who has come before. Scot asked what it's like to lay on the floor before the altar during the litany of the Saints. Fr. John said it's a humbling experience to receive those prayers of all the people. We are unworthy, but we accept it as a gift from God. Scot asked Fr. Carlos for his brightest memories of the ceremony. He said the imposition of the hands by all the brother priests was a powerful moment. He felt the communion of the priesthood as each one prayed for him. He felt a fraternity and affection from each of them. Fr. Chris asked Fr. Carlos what he was thinking about as he headed to the cathedral. He said it was overwhelming in prayer to think about all the graces he was receiving from God. The concentration on the logistics of the day helped to put aside the stress and just enter into the Mass. Scot said the closest equivalent for laypeople was their wedding day and many of them have to stress over details. Fr. John said he was lucky that he didn't have to deal logistics. He just had to show up at the cathedral and then the reception. Being on retreat for the week right up to the ordination helped him to focus on the most important part of the day. Fr. Chris said one of Cardinal Seán's gifts is preaching his homilies. Fr. Carlos said the Cardinal capitalized on the news about those who expected the Rapture and end of the world that weekend. He started with some humor, but then talked about how the Mass is a rapturous experience for people. Fr. John said he liked how the Cardinal talked about the upper room, the place of the Last Supper but also where the Apostles and Mary were gathered for Pentecost. It was a reminder that the ordination is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Scot asked Fr. John if there was anything about the ordination that surprised him. He was surprised at the amount of joy from the other priests during the Sign of Peace, even from priests he'd never met. It struck him that they are a family and now brothers in the priesthood. Fr. Carlos said he didn't expect the impact of things, especially during the prayers of consecration, recognizing the awesomeness of the moment,. Fr. John chose Fr. Brian Kiely from St. Patrick, Natick, who was his pastor during his assignment to the parish over the past two year.s It was a recognition of his love for the priesthood and that he is one of the best priests he knows. Fr. Carlos chose Fr. Michael MacEwen from Immaculate Conception, Marlboro, for similar reasons. Fr. Carlos had a lot of family fly into Boston from across the country, which was a great gift for him and a support to him in his vocation. **3rd segment:** SCot asked Fr. Carlos when he first heard his calling to the priesthood. He knew from the time he was six that God was calling him to be a priest. He would come home from Mass and play at being a priest. As he grew up and the immensity of God's calling was daunting and he started to push back. He looked into other interests and other fields of study. Around the end of senior year of high school, his faith life took off. The next year he went on a vocation discernment retreat and there was a great sense of peace and a sense of coming home. He explored both religious life and the diocesan priesthood. He graduated from Boston University in 2003 and entered seminary after. He had initially looked at the Salesian order because of his great love for youth ministry, but God made it clear that He wants him to live it through parish life in the Archdiocese of Boston. The Salesians are great, but it was clear God wasn't placing him there. Fr. Chris asked Fr. John about whether he looked into religious life. Fr. John had been exposed to the Benedictines during college and looked int o that life, but realized that he wasn't called to the monastery. He had a sense of giving back to the Church in Boston, which had given him so much of his faith. His vocation began with serving daily Mass in his parish in Lynn and that's what led him to entering the diocesan priesthood. He attended BC High and the retreat experience they offer there helped him. It's a weekend retreat in which the retreat team shares how God has worked in their life. They are encouraged to bring the prayer experiences of the retreat to the rest of their life. Faith became personal and not just a set of rules. Fr. Carlos did not go to any Catholic schools. Scot asked how attending secular schools helped him. Fr. Carlos said one of the great gifts at BU is the Catholic Center. At a secular university, living Catholicism must be an intentional act. It made the faith come alive. Belonging to a community helped strengthen him in his discernment of his vocation. Fr. Chris asked what other priests have been influential. Fr. John said his first pastor, Fr. Ed Malone, was a model of loving the priesthood and serving the people of the parish. The Jesuit priests at BC HIgh radiated the love of Christ. The monks of St. Anselm College were witness of joy and hope and helped him see Christ in his life. Fr. Carlos said there were many pastors, but the pastor of his parish growing up in East Boston was Fr. John Kilmartin, who died about 1-1/2 years ago. In the midst of his suffering, he served the people with joy. Scot asked about the final years of discernment at the seminary. Fr. Carlos said his first 15 minutes at the seminary led him to ask, What am I doing here. But as the years went by he felt a great joy and peace that he was doing what God called him to do. Fr. John agreed with experience. He found joy in growing into this idea of being father to the people he was serving. Fr. Chris said that there's a saying that every priest has one homily he preaches. Fr. Carlos said the basic message he wants to convey is the message of hope. People are often seeking joy and peace in so many other things. He hopes others find the real peace and joy that God wants. Fr. John said he preaches on the fact that we have hope because God loves us in a personal way. In that love and hope, we can find help and grace through any difficulty. **4th segment:** Fr. John said Cardinal Seán's homily reminded that the priest at Mass is both Priest and Victim. He is the sacrifice and the one who offers the sacrifice. Fr. Carlos said his first Mass was at his home parish at St. Joseph-St. Lazarus in East Boston. Being the celebrant at this altar was a beautiful moment that he's still trying to process even 2 weeks later. He asked Fr. Bob Oliver to preach at his first Mass, who had been his faculty adviser and a professor at St. John's and a role model of the priesthood. Fr. Chris asked Fr. John about his first Mass. He said during the elevation he was struck by how real the moment was, unlike any of the practices Masses he had done. He was blown away to think that he held the Creator of the Universe in his hands. And then after distribution of Communion, sitting back in his chair, to be at peace and be amazed at what just happened. Scot asked what it's like to be the principal celebrant at your first Mass. Fr. John said it's a blur, but he was absolutely present. He was nervous and wanted everything to be right. But he was able to present to it and can now recall it and look back on it. Fr. John said Fr. Peter Fournier, a recently ordained priest from Fall River who is a friend.  Scot asked Fr. John about his new assignment. The pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas is new so Fr. John is moving in on June 17. But he did meet some parishioners at the ordination Mass. He was also at freshman orientation at [Bridgewater State University](http://www.bridgew.edu/) yesterday, which is part of his responsibility. Fr. Carlos was assigned to three parishes. He's finished his first week. He's one a 3-week rotation of the parishes each Sunday. He said it's amazing how the Holy Spirit has helped him work in three parishes. He finds the people warm and welcoming. Scot asked him about the sacramental work: He's heard confessions and done anointings and celebrated daily and Sunday Masses. He enjoys meeting people after Mass and getting to know them. Fr. Carlos said there are 4 main languages in his parishes, including English, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. Fr. Carlos speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Arabic. He hopes to learn the Creole languages. He's learned that Brockton is a diverse and energetic place, especially among the youth. There is a lot of energy in the parishes. Fr. John said he was thrilled to be able to do college campus ministry. It's a real sign of how important it is to help young people. They're not just the future of the Church; they are the present of the Church. Fr. Chris asked about their favorite saints. Fr. Carlos said [St. John Bosco](http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-john-bosco/) for his zeal for youth and [St. Maximilian Kolbe](http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-maximilian-kolbe/) for his martyrdom in which he gave his life for others. He said he hopes to inspired by the notion of the idea that his life is to be sacrificial on behalf of his people. Fr. John said he is inspired by [St. Ignatius of Loyola](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07639c.htm) for how he was a soldier, but then he was drawn to his faith; St. Maximilian Kolbe, having been to Auschwitz himself and to think of being at the site of martyrdom and to see how Christ animated his priesthood. Fr. Chris said he is inspired by [St. Therese of Lisieux](http://www.sttherese.com/), finding the way to love in all that we do. Loving the Lord and your neighbor in such a way as it's found in the little things we do every day. Also, Bl. John Paul II, is fortitude, courage, and intelligence. And [St. Francis of Assisi](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm), in his willingness to give of himself and to point to the beauty of the natural world. **5th segment:** Scot asked Fr. Carlos how he has experienced the Holy Spirit in a new way. Certainly, the celebration of the Mass, but also in his acting as a priest. In his preaching, he sometimes feels that God is working through you to touch someone's life. Scot asked Fr. John what advice he has for men listening to the program who are discerning God's calling. He said that no matter what you are called to there will be challenges and don't be discouraged. Develop a habit of prayer. In listening to God's calling you in your heart through silence and attention, you can be sure it's God calling you and not your own will.  How do we try to pray in a busy life? The most important thing to do is to set time aside. If you want to be serious about it, then make the time. Set aside a space in your home that is set apart for prayer. Go to a Church to pray. Read Scripture and ask God to speak to you through it. Fr. Chris spoke of the promises that the priests made, including the gift of celibacy. Fr. John said it's a reminder that it's an image of Christ himself, who lived a life of poverty and obedience and chastity. The priest takes on that image of Christ. It reminds us that in heaven there is no giving and taking in marriage. By being celibate, the priest shows our future in heaven. Fr. Carlos said every vocation requires a sacrifice. In marriage, we pledge exclusivity to one person. In priesthood, the Church is his bride. The people of the church are his spiritual children. That desire is fulfilled through a sacrifice to God. If God is calling you to do something, then he will fulfill you in everything  you do. Scot added that praying to God for grace in anything that comes into our life is fruitful. We don't go alone; we have Jesus and the holy Spirit to help fulfill us. Fr. Carlos said we don't have to do it alone. God gives us the grace to live out the vows He's invited us to take. His advice for those discerning their lives is to not be afraid. If God is calling you, then that is what will give you the greatest happiness in life. That is what will most fulfill us. Offer your natural fears to God in prayer and you will see fears settled and joys unfold. Fr. Chris echoed the advice not to be afraid. He said entering the seminary is not making a lifetime commitment. Seminary is for coming and seeing if God is calling you to the priesthood.

**Today's host(s):** Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O'Connell **Today's guest(s):** Fr. Kevin Sepe, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi parish in Braintree * [St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Braintree](http://www.sfab.org/) * [Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda](http://www.catholicbermuda.org/) **Today's topics:** Fr. Kevin Sepe shares his path to the priesthood, the wonderful community at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Braintree, how the clergy personnel board assigns priests, and what does a vicar forane do? **1st segment:** Scot welcome Fr. Mark back to the show and Fr. Mark says he was in Bermuda this past week. Boston has been appointed by the Vatican for many years as the tribunal for the Catholic Church in Bermuda and Fr. Mark made a pastoral visit with the priests on the island. He also spoke to laypeople on the topic of annulments. He said Bermuda is at the same latitude as North Carolina and only two hours by plane. Scot was at St. Michael's in Andover, the largest parish in the Archdiocese, for a vicariate meeting on the work of Catholic media. Also tomorrow is the priestly ordination for six men in the Archdiocese of Boston, at the Holy Cross Cathedral at 9am. Fr. Mark taught them canon law in the seminary and said they are a very fine group. They will receive their assignments tonight from Cardinal Sean. Fr. Mark resides at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Braintree, where the pastor is today's guest, Fr. Kevin Sepe. **2nd segment:** Scot and Fr. Mark welcome Fr. Sepe to the show. He is also pastor of the geographic region in which the Pastoral Center resides. The first day the Pastoral Center was open, Fr. Sepe brought collection envelopes to the Chancellor. Fr. Sepe grew up in St. Michael's in Lowell and attended high school. In 1977 there was a graduating class of 17 men, 3 of whom are now pastors in the archdiocese. They never discussed the seminary in high school, but they all came to the seminary later. He believes its the foundations they received from the priests in the parish. Scot said he was stunned to learn that Fr. Kevin grew up in  the same parish Scot grew up in. When Fr. Kevin was in high school, he admired the headmaster of St. Michael's school, who was also his Latin teacher. One day at the end of school, the priest asked him, "Sepe, did you ever think of the priesthood?" He said, "No", and the priest replied, "Start." Fr. Kevin said that seed developed and grew and he couldn't escape it. It wasn't in his brain, so much as his heart. After that, he talked to a parish priest who recommended he talked to someone at the seminary who offered a weekend retreat for college-age men. While he was a little rambunctious on the weekend, it was a foundation. Fr. Kevin's father was a classic WWII vet and while he had a profound faith, he was no theologian. To have a son as a priest was an honor. His mother was a registered nurse and had worked in a psychiatric hospital and seen many difficulties in people's lives so she wanted to make sure he would be happy. Scot said Fr. Kevin is celebrating 25 years in the priesthood this year. His experience is far different from the day of his ordination. At the time, you couldn't expect to be pastor for 25 years, but that quickly changed. His first assignment was St. Joseph, Quincy, where had a wonderful five years with the pastor and a parish school in a city. He stayed friends with the pastor afterward. After that assignment he went to Middleboro and learned how large the archdiocese is. The parish itself is 75 square mile and is the southernmost part of the archdiocese. On a communion call one time he got lost on the back roads and it took him all day to get back home. After that assignment, he was at St. Mary in Randolph with Fr. Richard Harrington. Fr. Kevin has been a pastor for 14 years this coming August. He remembers being on a board that investigated making rectories separate from the church's offices, which has turned out to be a good respite for many priests to enable them to have a place of prayer apart from the work place. It's a relief to leave the office, come home, and rest and have a prayerful place. At St. Francis, the rectory has the parish offices in the building, but there's a clear separation. It's a former convent and it had a cloistered area built into the architecture. **3rd segment:** Scot said St. Francis is known as a busy parish. He said they have a parochial school with 360 students and they provide them with a Mass once per month and he's in the school regularly. Their religious education program has 700 students. They have an active sacramental life, they have about 100 funerals per year and about 120 baptisms. With the school, there is an access to a percentage of parents you would not normally connect with during the week. About 50% of the students live within Braintree and the rest are commuters from other parishes or other towns. Fr. Mark said there is a lot of charitable activity in the parish. There is an active St. Vincent de Paul Society. On Thursdays, there is a food pantry day serving a number of people in the parish. They have a monthly canned food drive to stock the pantry. There is also an agreement with [Panera Bread](http://www.panerabread.com/) where they receive the day-old bread that would normally be thrown away. It allows them to give baked goods to families who not have access to them. They help on the average of about 60 to 120 families and that number has increased in recent years, as well as requests for assistance with rent, fuel, and clothing. The parish has an annual giving tree at Christmas where parishioners supply gifts for specific children. Fr. Mark said they also help parishes overseas. Each week 10% of the parish's offertory is sent to organizations locally and globally. The parish is involved with the [SMA Fathers](http://www.smafathers.org/), where they host a priest for 2 months from Africa, giving them a respite from the missionary labors. At the end of their stay, there is a collection from parishioners. Last year, the provided a roof and a generator for a parish in Northern Nigeria and even a motorcycle for the catechists to reach remote parishioners. After Hurricane Katrina, the parish collected $60,000 for relief efforts to the people of the Gulf region. The parishioners are very aware of their need to give of their time, talent, and treasure. Fr. MArk said this comes from the leadership of a priest like Fr. Sepe who models the behavior and encourages. Scot said the numbers of kids involved in religious ed and the school makes it sound like it's a very young parish. What works to bring them to the parish? Fr. Kevin said they have a weekly family Mass on Sunday at 9am and encourage families to bring them. The kids come up to sit near the altar during the homily and  the homily is geared to the children. At baptisms, they make them prayerful liturgies and they encourage parents to bring the kids even if they make noise. It's how the kids become comfortable in the church. They also have religious education meeting on a Sunday in order to invite them to the 9am Mass and the 10:30 Mass. They do their First Communions at their Sunday Masses, small groups at every Mass over two weekends. It reminds them of the importance of coming to Mass as a family. He wants to draw them back to the Church on Sundays. They have a unique ministry called the prayer shawl ministry. Fr. Kevin said there are many women who gather to pray as they crochet or knit. They do it in silence as they listen to meditative music and pray for people. They then give the shawls to the homebound or people in hospice or to expectant mothers who know they are connected to a parish that cares for them. **4th segment:** Fr. Kevin is also a vicar forane and serves on the clergy personnel board and is a fire and police chaplain. Scot asked Fr. Kevin how Cardinal Sean assigns a priest. For the newly ordained, they are interviewed by the board. They are asked questions and the board gets to know them, their talents, and more mundane matters like allergies to pets or the like. Whether they'd like to be near a school or in a city or if they need to be assigned near a relative who needs their care. Also, their language abilities. Meanwhile, the board has prepared a list of parishes that would be suitable assignments for new priests. Their first assignment is only 3 years. They might become pastors in only 8 years, but recently one priest was made a pastor after his first assignment. They want the priest to be able to learn quickly how to become a pastor. They're thinking of making them only two year assignments. When a pastorate opens, a priest can submit his name for a particular parish. Or one of his friends can nominate him. Or his name can be generated by members of the clergy personnel board. They look at the statistics of the parish: demographics, financials, and the ministerial staffing. They then look at the list of the priests of the archdiocese, their current assignments, and when they were ordained and maybe find a name of a parochial vicar who might be a good fit. They come up with a slate of three names recommended to the Cardinal. they put them in order of who they believe would best fit. Fr. Kevin has been on the board for 6 or 7 years. Today, they consider assignments with pastoral planning in mind and they consider not just the parish, but the whole region and the whole archdiocese. They now use GPS and mapping technology to show the locations of parishes around the open pastorate and see, for example, priests who are close to retirement in nearby parishes and thus affect who they will assign in the currently open assignment. The slate of candidates goes to the cardinal and he can choose one of the names or he can choose anyone he wants. The cardinal usually runs the list by several other priests as well. But he typically goes with the recommendation even if he changes the order of the priests on the list. Fr. Michael Medas of the Clergy Personnel Office calls the priest and meets with him to talk about the parish and to encourage him to accept the assignment. A new wrinkle is that pastors are now being asked to be pastors of more than one parish at a time. They've asked pastors of nearby parishes to take on neighboring parishes as well. Scot said the Archdiocese is divided in 5 regions and each region is divided in vicariates, sub-regions. The vicar forane helps the Cardinal in administering the vicariate. He hosts meetings of the pastors and allows for an avenue of communication from the archbishop to the priests and back. As vicar forane he coordinates that communication. At a vicariate meeting today they had the vicariate's representative the presbyteral council give a report on the recent meeting of the council. The priests give their feedback to the representative and then he brings it back to the cardinal and the council. The vicariate meets about every 4-6 weeks. Fr. Kevin tries to schedule them for just after the presbyteral council meetings. Fr. Mark said the Church works with principle of subsidiarity, pushing all activity to the lowest level applicable. **5th segment:** We look at this coming Sunday's Gospel as we do every Friday. * [Gospel for Sunday, May 22 (John 14:1-12)](http://usccb.org/nab/052211.shtml#gospel) >Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? > >And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” > >Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'? > >Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” Fr. Kevin said many priests would select this Gospel for a funeral Mass. He dwells on the Lord saying, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places." What does he mean? Is this like a giant house at the beach. Scot said his kids are at the stage of asking him what heaven will be like and he tells them we cannot know, but that it will be greater than we can imagine. Fr. Kevin tells them to dream and imagine what they would like to be there. He recalled the graveside ceremony prayer: "Inflame in our hearts a desire for heaven." What does it mean for heaven to be like a banquet? It's a giant feast that we never have t o get up from, we're never full and we move from table to table to be with one another. Scot notes Jesus's response to Philip, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?" He imagines what Jesus might say to himself: Have I been with you in prayer and in Mass and in the people you love, do you still not know Me? We have to make sure to be aware of the ways in which Jesus is present to us every day. Fr. Mark notes that in John's Gospel that Philip is often portrayed as not having a clue and always needs a little reassurance and yet does great things in his life later on. Scot said to imagine being Philip, and how confused Philip must have been to hear these teachings for the first time without the benefit of two thousand years of trinitarian theology to help him. Fr. Mark likes to have a role model in Philip who needs some help and may not be the best student. That will conclude today's presentation of The Good Catholic Life. On Monday, Michael Miller from the Acton Institute and Andreas Widmer from the Seven Fund will talk about entrepreneurial solutions to poverty and on Tuesday, Fr. Robert Reed of CatholicTV will be on the show to tell us about all their great programming. For recordings and photos of today's show and all previous shows, please visit our website: TheGoodCatholicLife.com. You can also download the app for your iPhone or Android device at WQOM.org to listen to the show wherever you may be. We thank our guest, Father Kevin Sepe. For our co-host, Father Mark O'Connell, our Production team of Rick Heil, Anna Johnson, Justin Bell, Dom Bettinelli, and George Martell, this is Scot Landry saying thank YOU for listening, God bless you and have a wonderful evening!

Christmas on Saturday followed by Sunday Masses proved too crazy even to do any recording.  Today I present three homilies from one day.  This first one may suffer from some audio competition.  Recorded at Franklin.