Building the City of God

Today marks the beginning 40 Days for Life, a prayer vigil to end abortion in our nation.  It is a concerted effort of prayer and fasting that has the potential to release our country from the grip of the culture of death in a matter of weeks!  For every moment from now until November 2, people in cities all over America will make extra sacrifices and prayers in hopes that the destruction of innocent human life will cease in America.

The simplest way for others to participate is to pray each of the daily devotionals during the campaign.  Fasting (from anything that puts a barrier between you and God) is another great way to participate.  Braver souls can also make a commitment to keep vigil for an hour at a time outside of local abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood facilities.  This author has already made a commitment to prayer and fasting until the Solemnity of All Souls, and keeping vigil at a local Planned Parenthood facility is not out of the question.

The method in which a person chooses to participate is not the most important thing.  The most important this is that we all endeavor to pray for an end to such morally depraved practices.  Once a person has made a commitment to pray, God will use those prayers however He sees fit.  Our job as believers in the dignity of human life is to pray.  Let God handle the results.

Please join in this most necessary prayer effort.  God bless!

Today, the Church in America celebrates the memorial of St. Peter Claver, who is lesser-known than some of the gigantic figures throughout Church history.  Despite his lack of conspicuity, he happens to be one of the greatest examples of charity that the Church in the New World has ever known.  His life of service epitomizes Christ's call to build the Kingdom through benevolent actions.

One quote from the saint serves as a window into his entire philosophy of life:

"Then we sat, or rather knelt, beside them and bathed their faces and bodies with wine.  We made every effort to encourage them with friendly gestures and displayed in their presence the emotions which somehow naturally tend to hearten the sick."

That he stated this about the African slaves to whom he ministered makes a reader think "wow!"  There are few examples that this historian can recollect of such treatment of African slaves by people of European descent.  (Appropriately enough, all of the notable examples are provided by Catholic missionaries.)  It is true, then, that St. Peter Claver applied no standards of race or social class to his ministry; he took seriously Christ's call to serve "the least of these."

Click here and here to read more details about St. Peter Claver's life.

St. Peter Claver, pray for us, that we might serve all of God's people without reservation as you did.

God bless! 

On August 28 of each year, the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, a theologian and bishop from the 5th century.  In the midst of a personal celebration of the memorial (it's almost like a birthday celebration because he's my patron), it was quite easy to lose track of time.  However, I must take the opportunity to write about the saint who has interceded for and passed on much of God's grace to a recalcitrant sinner, even if it is a day late.

Because of my deep devotion and connection to St. Augustine, it is most proper to read his ancient words on a regular basis, and to meditate on how they are applicable to my life.  As my eyes traversed the pages of Confessions yesterday, there appeared a passage on the relationship between humility and conversion.  The great saint clearly identified the importance of a virtue whose importance has diminished throughout history.

"Therefore, by humble devotion return is made to you, and you cleanse us from our evil ways, and are merciful to the sins of those who confess to you, and graciously hear the groans of those shackled by sin, and you free them from the chains that we have made for ourselves.  This you do, if we do not raise up against you…[by] putting more love upon our own personal good than upon you, the good of all that is" (Book III, Chapter VIII).

Quite simply, God helps those who wish to find conversion.   By His grace, and by growth in the virtues (which also comes from grace), people can be "free from the chains" that bind them.  Indeed, God wants to be merciful, but He only pours out that mercy on those who acknowledge the need for it.

This cycle of grace is true in my own life.  During my last years of high school and through college, there a number of chains around my soul that I freely (even if ignorantly) placed there and even wore with pride.  Yes, my love of academic knowledge and personal pleasure (read "more love upon [my] own personal good") were the standards by which I measured "happiness" and blessings.  How ignorant and errant was this line of thought! 

It was not until God moved and spoke to me in the silence of my heart, that I began to understand that the chains were not a fashion statement for my soul.  It was then that I understood how much they were weighing upon me; how much they restricted my freedom.  At that point, the point where I surrendered my pride, God was able to reach down and begin to deconstruct the intricate system of bondage around my soul.

That sequence of events began over four years ago under the patronage of St. Augustine, who wore chains similar to my own.  And, it is a trend that continues today.  I make no pretensions of being rid of pride; of having perfectly cultivated humility in my life.  However, I know that St. Augustine's intercession and God's amazing grace will allow me to achieve a greater degree of freedom than I have ever known.  Then, I will be able to recognize fully "the good of all that is."

Pray for an increase of God's grace and our assent to that grace through humility and surrender.

God bless! 

In this current culture, there is little doubt that faithful Catholics are having much difficulty with locating and directing people toward the moral "north."  In recent history, many well-meaning people have been (and continue to be) led astray in their search for spiritual nourishment and salvation.  Yes, our human institutions (governments, associations, etc.) and, more importantly, our human souls are in grave danger.  Evil is present around every corner of our lives.

Of particular concern is the social sin perpetuated by our present civilization, which has become predicated on the "absolute truths" of relativism and humanism.  Western society in all its grandeur is one that now accepts and affirms violations of human dignity on a daily basis.  While westerners were napping over several decades, the Enemy has entered the culture and disguised evil as "convenience" and "self-gratification."  Instead, their precious liberties have been (and are currently being) trampled and eroded.

Two examples, which effectively bring to light a grotesque double standard, will suffice.  The first is a recent situation involving Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who is quite possibly the most influential legislator in our country.  In an interview this past Sunday, Pelosi mutilated the Church's clear teaching on the point at which a human life begins, and she tread not-so-lightly into the land of scandal by once again affirming her belief in "the woman's right to choose [to have an abortion]."  Without a doubt, the Speaker has helped to perpetuate the culture of death based on the "rights" of conscience and convenience.

Thanks be to God that there are still men like Archbishop Charles Chaput (Denver, CO) who are able to recognize the work of the devil; and who work to combat the spread of the culture of death, relativism, and convenience.  In a statement entitled "On the  Separation of Sense and State," the prelate took Pelosi to task on her claims.  His conclusions were that Pelosi's self-styled theological research was shoddy at best; that she is objectively an advocate of moral evil; and that she is presently leading faithful Catholics into grave sin.  He wrote:

"Abortion kills an unborn, developing human life.  It is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions employed to justify it.  Catholics who make excuses for it – whether they’re famous or not – fool only themselves and abuse the fidelity of those Catholics who do sincerely seek to follow the Gospel and live their Catholic faith.”

(Click here to read the Catholic News Agency report.) 

In close proximity to Pelosi, in her home state of California, a judge has recently ruled that doctors have no freedom of conscience to refrain from providing medical treatments that they find morally reprehensible.  According to a Catholic News Agency report, that state has required that homosexual women be provided with artificial insemination by two physicians who are conscientious objectors.

"You must merely obey what the state says, you have no right to follow your own moral guide," stated the attorney who worked in defense of the physicians, seemingly sarcastically.  So, we have entered a period in our national history when freedom of speech and association are guaranteed only when they are not contrary to the opinions of certain legislators and judges.  Vital protections of our personal dignity and liberty seem to have been erased from this country's consciousness.  No longer can we expect to think and associate freely.  Neither can we choose what work we will and will not do.  Rather, we have accepted the qualities of fascism, tyrrany, and dictatorship, and they are veiled as tolerance.  Indeed, the dictatorship of relativism is real, and it has a tight grip over our nation!

This proverbial culture of death "cake" has been iced with attractive misnomers like "I can do anything I want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else," or "It's not a baby; it's a fetus!"  (Hint: look up the English translation of fetus.)  And, since the icing is so attractive and "liberating," people fail to see the inherent contradictions in speech and action.  For example, those who decry efforts to end abortion and euthanasia as "violations of conscience" are the same people who will support the denial of two doctors' "right to choose" to refuse certain services.

Does anyone else see these trends?  Are we headed for total darkness?  The evidence would seem so.  However, our current situation is not without hope!

Christ is the answer!  It is He who illuminates our lives with the wisdom and truth of God; He who teaches us that we must respect each and every person's free will, whether that will chooses wisely or poorly.  It is He who teaches that we must protect "even the least of these," a category that scientifically includes those who are not yet born.  It is He who proclaimed that the "utopian" world is to built on self-sacrifice, service to our fellow humans, and virtues such as humility, patience, chastity, and integrity.  (Hint: Read the Beatitudes; Matthew 5:1-11.)

Let us remember these principles as we act out our daily lives, and especially as we choose to be active in our nation's culture.

God bless!

In recent days, this author has encountered much difficulty in trying to find the "perfect" opportunity to write about Pope Benedict XVI's messages during the World Youth Day celebration.  Alas, the Holy Spirit has moved, and the hours of this day are passing more slowly than usual.  Thus, there is ample time and motivation to opine about the pontiff's clairvoyance.

Within the second reading of today's Mass (the Feast of the Transfiguration), two sentences provided the important link that had been missing from this over-exerted mind.  "Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.  You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."  The connection became so clear: Pope Benedict, who is the successor of the man who first articulated this truth (St. Peter), proclaimed a prophetic message to the world's young people; a message that was meant to shine light into the the pitch-black, secular culture found throughout the modern world.

In his welcome address, the pope extolled the "innate goodness" of God's human creatures, who are "crowned with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5).  Listeners were reminded of the vast potential found within the human race: "advances in medical sciences and the wise application of technology," creative arts, recreational activities, etc.  Such achievements, precisely because they are good, create "profound joy and gratitude."  Why should they not be praised?  None of them are inherently opposed to God's will for human life, so they should be celebrated.

The pope went on to remind young people, however, that there is much evil to be found among those positive goods; a certain "poison which threatens to corrode what is good."  The primary avenue by which such poison has infiltrated our culture is disunity or, worse, false unity.  Moreover, the agent which seems to have bred false unity most quickly is relativism, the proverbial thorn in Benedict's side.  Indeed, relativism is an underlying cause of division, tension, and so much of the social sin that infects modern culture.  Relativism, Benedict asserted, is contrary to the "very principles which enable us to live and flourish in unity" (Vigil Message).

Although there were points at which this Successor of Peter decried abuses to human dignity, he was not content to focus on the negative things of this world.  Rather, his most ardent desire was to teach young people how to be witnesses in their own communities; how to be conduits of the Holy Spirit in broken, scarred societies.  Thus, his words were keyed to the themes of reconciliation, unity, and hope in the future.

He questioned the audience at Randwick Racecourse: "How can we offer the hope of peace, healing and harmony to…'stations' of conflict, suffering, and tension…" (Vigil Message)?  The simple answer was God and His Church on earth, the Catholic Church.  "Unity is of the essence of the Church; it is a gift we must recognize and cherish," he proclaimed.  Further, it is by the Holy Spirit, "Who satisfies that essential human yearning to be one, to be immersed in communion," that the Church is endowed with her oneness.  Because the Holy Spirit is necessary for unity, we must pray that He come into our lives and invigorate us!

In his homily during the Closing Mass, His Holiness continued to instill in the worshipers the belief that Christ is the ultimate answer to life's most serious and perplexing problems.  "The outpouring of Christ's Spirit upon humanity is a pledge of hope and deliverance from everything that impoverishes us," he taught.  Yes, that is the same Spirit Who moved over the formless, dark void at the beginning of time (Genesis 1:1-2); the same Spirit Who descended upon Christ after He was baptized in the Jordan River (John 1:32); the same Spirit received by those baptized throughout Christian history.  The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are of one essence.  There is no separation of the two.  Therefore, we know and believe that it is by Christ and the Holy Spirit that this world will be resurrected from its current dregs.

In the face of ridicule, isolation, and envy by the Enemy, believers must unceasingly proclaim Christ as "the 'way' who satisfies all human yearning, and the 'life' to which we are called to bear witness, walking always in his light" (Rite of Baptism 100).  Although there is much evil in our time (and for generations into the future), the light of Christ will never be overcome by the darkness of Satan and the world.  On that day when the "morning star" rises in the heart of all humanity, it will be because Christ poured out His Spirit upon faithful believers, and because they have been faithful to their calling.

Let us applaud Pope Benedict XVI for identifying the most pressing problems of our modern age.  Let us also applaud him for his effort to point humans toward the One who is capable of providing joyful remedies to such problems.  Let us give thanks that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has given Pope Benedict XVI to His Holy Catholic Church as its servant!  Thanks be to God!

God has moved within me!  Because of that movement in recent moments, I have received great clarity on the idea of happiness.

The question that heads this essay is one that might have a thousand different answers from a thousand different men.  However, because I am a man who has experience in many different states of life, and because I know that there is one Ultimate Happines, I know that I am "qualified" to answer such a perplexing question.  In fact, the question becomes quite an easy one because of the various perspectives from which I have seen, endured, and lived this human life.

The first Psalm of David says:

"Blessed [sometimes translated 'happy'] is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (vv. 1-2).

I certainly am a man who has walked in the counsel of the wicked; I have stood in, and even danced, in the way of sinners.  I spent many nights trying to find happiness in such sensuality.  After all of that searching, only one thing is clear: the wickedness in which I wallowed was only an erroneous happiness.

In recent years, that erroneous happiness has been replaced by a true blessedness, one that brings more peace, joy, and fulfillment than I have ever known.  I find more pleasure in being a Christian, husband, father, and minister than in seeking base sensual pleasures.  To use a modern (or not-so-modern) example, I would rather sit with my son's head resting on my shoulder, and know that my wife is cared for and content, than seek my next drink.

Indeed, the counsel of the wicked and the way of sinners would have me seek over-indulgince in alcohol, misguided sexual pleasures, gluttony, and, impatience among other things.  Yet those things seem grotesue and unfulfilling anymore.  True happiness, rather, comes from the latter portion of the Psalm quoted above: seeking, knowing, and doing the law of the Lord day and night, even when opportunities to do the opposite arise.

God has blessed me with a plethora of opportunities to seek, know, and do His will.  Those opportunities, then, are where this man, and humanity as a whole, will find infinite happiness.  There exists nothing as pleasurable as casting off those things that the world and the Enemy advertise as the means to happiness.  It is, without a doubt, one of the great paradoxes that a person can learn when He knows Truth: greater happiness, true happiness, is found in denial of selfish pleasures; in making a gift of self to another of the Creator's creations.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will impregnate this world with true happiness and peace.  And, I pray that all men will learn to dwell in that happiness and peace for all the days of their lives.

God bless!

As a Catholic husband, father, and minister, there is one area of my life over which I nearly constantly worry: money.  I suppose that most average adults can attest to the fact that “there never seems to be enough,” or that some unexpected financial obligation always interferes with the grandiose plans.  After more than two years of marriage and nearly one year of fatherhood, I have gained infinitely greater respect for the tough financial decisions that adults face; and I have struggled over and over again with becoming a good steward rather than indulgin my own selfish desires.

As I continually gain new experiences in this area, I seem to be in prayer continually: asking the Provider to help stretch those last few dollars until the end of the month and for the grace to place my family’s needs above my own.  The Mass readings for today, as well as a short passage from the Divine Office, offered emotional and spiritual reinforcement that was much-needed.

The first chapter of the letter of St. James reminds me to view “various trials” (among which are certainly financial worries) as joyful because they bring about perseverance in faith (vv. 2-3).  That same letter goes on to offer an image of withering fruitfulness: “For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass…and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.  So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits” (v. 11).  Further, the Responsorial Psalm acclaims God’s bountiful blessings; the benefits of affliction; and the kind and comforting reward brought by such faithfulness to His Divine Will (vv. 68, 71, 76).  Finally, one of the petitions in the midst of Evening Prayer requests that the Lord lead me into a life of “peaceful security.”

Such words and phrases resonate in my mind and heart.  They offer immense hope for my (and my family’s) future.  They offer simple, yet profound assurance that struggles are temporal; diligence is rewarded in great measure; happiness and fulfillment are found not in “gold and silver pieces” but in the “law of your [God’s] mouth” (Psalm 119:72).

I pray that God will continue to pour out His abundant grace on me and my family as well as all Christian families who work diligently to honor Him by taking proper care of His gifts.  May we build the City of God by becoming faithful stewards!

God bless!

As I read the latest Spirit & Life Newsletter from Fr. Tom Euteneuer, I was saddened to hear of the death of a great champion of the Gospel of Life such as Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo.  I was also joyful that he has been called from his life of defending the Faith toward Eternal Life where no defense is necessary.  I pray that his legacy lives on, and that his successor will take up the task of defense confidently and ably.

God bless!

All faithful Christians can appreciate the statement that it is difficult to live one’s faith each and every day.  However, each one also knows that professing the faith which bears its founder’s name requires a change of attitudes and actions in every facet of daily existence.  Jesus taught and performed miracles not only on the Sabbath; His work was executed at all times, in all situations.  How could we ever claim Him as our standard-bearer and yet not allow the lessons and experiences of Sunday to alter (for the better) every other moment of our week?

In his address to the bishops of the United States, Pope Benedict identified this separation of profession and action as a key component of America’s deep, ongoing religious and moral crisis.  American Catholics, clergy included, have not provided a public witness that mirrors their confession on Sunday, and thus a void has been created that must be filled.  If such a void is not filled with “Christ Our Hope,” it will be filled with other moral evils, some of which were explicitly named by His Holiness.

It is left, then, to the bishops, the pastors of our souls, to provide the first, best examples.  Further, it is their responsibility to facilitate the proper formation of their flocks’ consciences.  Only when they have been instructed in the way of holiness and fidelity to Christ will large groups of faithful Catholics present the clear, decisive witness that was expressly willed by the Anointed during His time on earth.

Let us all pray for our bishops in the country.  Let us also pray that more people will encounter the Risen Lord and allow Him to transform every moment of their lives, private and public.

God bless!

As you all know by now, Pope Benedict has arrived in the United States, and he has visited President George Bush at the White House.  Yet again, the pontiff’s vision and methods are clear from his opening remarks during that brief meeting with our country’s chief executive.

There are more than a few thoughts in that address that are worthy of consideration, but time limits that exercise.  The focus of this post, then, will be directed toward the final paragraph of the written text.  After reading those words, it is most difficult to understand how people still hold such scathing hatred of this wise, charitable, and holy man.

Pope Benedict offers a great deal of admiration and respect for our country: “America has traditionally shown herself generous in meeting immediate human needs, fostering development and offering relief to the victims of natural catastrophes.”  His analysis is unbelievably accurate!  There is no other secular nation that provides as much aid to those in dire need throughout the world (e.g., Red Cross, UNICEF, etc.), and applauds that fact.

There is one word, however, that must be highlighted: “traditionally.”  The Pope, while recognizing such remarkable national charity, does not fail to point out that such a statement is not true in all situations at all times.  America has dropped the proverbial ball on several key aspects of “meeting immediate human needs.”  Oh, how he wishes (and we wish, too) that he could point out the protection of the dignity and right to life of every person, born and unborn.  (There is no doubt that this will also be a theme of his message to the United Nations.)

Yes, indeed, our Holy Father has reminded this nation in no uncertain terms that we have the potential and duty to do important things for human dignity and rights.  We can campaign for “concern for the greater human family,” and we can show “support for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress.”  Only then, Pope Benedict says, will the world be a place where “truth, freedom and justice can flourish;” and where the “God-given dignity and rights of every man, women and child are cherished, protected, and effectively advanced.”

Pray for the United States.  Pray that Americans will heed the wisdom of the Holy Father and experience conversion of mind and heart.  Pray that Truth will reign!