On Tuesday of this week I gave a short talk to some teens and adults present for praise and worship at St. Francis. I wanted to share a part of that talk with you because I have been affected by this ideal and is having great impact on me.

Who is your favorite band, or sports team, player, writer, public figure? I remember when I was younger I thought Barry Sanders was the Man! He is the best running back ever in my professional opinion.

When I was in high school my good friend Josh Matthew took me to Camp Barakel in Michigan. We came from a small town Baptist church and there was only Josh, myself, and our group leader in the high school group. As a result we had to share a cabin with another group. Barry was one of their group leaders. Along with Jason Hansen, the Lions kicker. This is one of those “so there I was stories…” I remember seeing him in the cabin the first time and being amazed. Here is the best running back in history (remember my professional opinion), and I’m in the same room as him. This is unbelievable!

This last weekend we hear in John’s Gospel, “Behold the Lamb of God”.

s Catholics each Sunday we go to church and we receive the Eucharist, the Lamb of God. In theological description the Eucharist is the Transubstantiated Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. He is fully present in It; It is Him.

See if you can keep up. (1) The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. + (2) He is fully present all of the time through and in It + (3) We receive this Living Bread at minimum every Sunday = WE SHOULD BE HAPPY AT CHURCH!!!!!!

How come every Sunday I see husbands and fathers, self included, arriving at church frustrated and upset, mad, sad, looking gloomy? Yet these same guys, self included, would give up everything for 2 Superbowl Tickets and a dinner with favorite quarterback #1 after the game?

Guy’s, there is no bigger game. There is no better player. There is no better singer, speaker, writer, anything. Jesus is the MVP. As we enter church we should BE excited. We are entering the house of the God of the Universe. Every seat is a good seat.

Call this a challenge, call this a reminder, call it what you will. I’m here to promise you that from here forth, I will be excited for church. I will be excited to partake in the greatest celebration in the world. That of the Resurrected Christ present every day in Mass and Church.

Let’s together reclaim our roles by Leading our family’s to church, rather than being an anchor. Be the first in the car. Walk with your head high. Don’t back into your spot and leave after communion because Mass isn’t over yet!

Be an Off Brand Dad. Go to Church…smile…and Love it!

This weekend I am attending the Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio’s Youth Minister Retreat. Please pray for the over 150 youth ministers who will be reflecting on life, ministry, and most importantly taking time to grow in relationship with Christ.

Also, please pray for Chris Brooks, St. Francis Edge Minister, as he attends the Lifeteen Youth Minister’s retreat next week at Covecrest, a camp in Tiger, GA. Chris will join other YM’s in the woods for prayer and rest.

Last, but not least, please pray for those attending Men’s Cursillo 109 in Memphis. These men will be diving deeper in faith and love with Christ and will journey with Christ this weekend in ways not before imagined.

If you have never taken or attended a retreat, the time is NOW. Taking time away from our family, community and work life can be hard; however we must take time to dive deeper into faith and relationship with Our Lord. As leaders of our families, communities, and environments, we must take time to strengthen and build up ourselves.

How can we lead, and change the world, if we are not refreshed and prepared.

Christ too took time to be alone with the Father prior to His final journey.

Matthew writes, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”" MT 26:36

Christ knew the pain and suffering…And Joy that would follow His Crucifixion and thus he prepared by withdrawing from His friends and praying.

Men, we must also withdraw from time to time so that we may more fully center our hearts on Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, now is the time to go on retreat. Don’t think, just go. There are many options. You can attend a parish retreat, a Cursillo weekend, a guided retreat at a retreat center, or someplace else. Where ever you go I suggest the following:

1) Don’t go without Jesus. Try to go to a retreat that has Adoration and Mass. These wonderful gifts are critical to growing deeper in relationship with Christ.

2) Seek out a retreat that offers confession. As you withdraw and pray you will probably confront some things you need reconciliation for. The gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is another necessary element to grow deeper.

3) Find a place you can go that is comfortable. Don’t go somewhere you will be stressed out. If the travel to the retreat is more than you can handle, find something more comfortable, or ask a friend to go with you to make the journey easier.

4) Don’t go and just sleep. While rest is good, and it is part of the retreat ideal, you should also read the Bible, Pray, study the faith, etc. Go deeper in faith, not in slumber.

5) Lastly, take care of what you need to before leaving. Make sure family is cared for, work is settled, and life is on hold. When you arrive at the retreat center you should only be thinking of your time with God, not what you should have done, or need to do.

I hope these simple suggestions will help you to find a greater relationship with Christ a reality. Retreats are necessary for the enrichment of our faith and they can change our lives if properly used in our journey with Jesus. Remember, retreats are a way to go deeper, not someplace we go to experience deep faith. Deep faith should be something we carry with us, not simply experience in the woods.

Please email me if you need help finding a retreat, or need a friend to get you there. I will be praying for you this weekend. God bless.

St. Joseph, pray for us.