Building the City of God

One of the greatest privileges that this author had while on pilgrimage in the Land Down Under was visiting, and worshiping in, St. Mary's Cathedral.  To be in the vicinity of this building was fascinating and inspiring.  To be inside its walls was to lift one's mind and heart toward the Eternal.  Quite surely, this building, which is now 140 years old, will bring awe and inspiration to visitors for many more generations.

The building's exterior was enough to make any pilgrim fall in love with Gothic architecture and wish that more churches were still built with such delicate intricacies.  As the spires stretched toward Heaven, it was impossible to focus on anything near the ground.  Surely, that must have been one of the reason for the use of Gothic architecture during this project.  It draws our eyes and hearts away from earthly cares and toward the Almighty, in whom we have our existence.

Such an idea was equally true while this pilgrim gazed upon the interior decor; and participated in the Heavenly Liturgy within its walls.  The nave, which covers most of the cathedral's 350+ total feet in length, brought a realization that our Christian journey is always directed toward communion with Christ.  The Stations of the Cross were not only massive, but gorgeous as well, and served as a reminder of Our Lord's sacrificial offering on our behalf.  The stained glass windows provided a radiant flood of light, just as God provides a radiant flood of wisdom to our minds and hearts.  Even the crypt, where Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was held, required worshipers to focus on life after death.  It was impossible not to feel God's presence, distinctly and powerfully.

 

 

Finally, the cathedral contains a painting of our Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians.  She is the patroness of Australia, and she was the patroness of World Youth Day 2008.  By reciting a special prayer, entire groups of pilgrims entrusted their pilgrimage and the rest of their lives to Mary's intercession.  Indeed, even in such an exciting time, one was not allowed to forget the place of Our Lady in the mission of the Church.

St. Mary's Cathedral, then, must be placed on the list of "things to see" by anyone who might travel to Australia, especially those who are Catholic.  To visit the cathedral, and to worship within its walls, created a sense of worshiping with faithful Christians who lived centuries ago.

For more information on St. Mary's Cathedral, click here.  To view all of my pictures of the cathedral, click here.

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!

Few words in the language of faith are more difficult to accept and apply to our daily lives as those that head this post.  Most of us would rather replace the "th" with an "m" so that we can have our way, create our own set of rules.  However, the Author of said prayer will not be able to reign His abundant blessings on us if we refuse His Divine Will.

In order to put a more human face on such an ambiguous combination of sentences, take a moment to read The Albright Chronicle, written by my cousin.  She is the wife of a man who is in the final stages of a battle against lymphoma.  She is the mother of two boys, both of whom are under five years old.  At the same time, she seems to be a woman who understands that "thy" is more important than "my."

It is impossible to imagine the emotional roller coaster on which she must be traveling.  Such a coaster must make stops at anxiety, fear, anger, confusion, and many other points on the emotional compass.  Yet, the words in her posts convey a sense of passive acceptance; an understanding that her ailing husband is now fully in the hands of the One who created him.

It is appropriate, then, to take pause and ask ourselves how honest we are when we recite those heavy words: "thy will be done."  We must learn that God is our creator, our provider, our sustainer, our lover.  His Divine Wisdom and Love are infinitely perfect, and so we must never doubt that his actions in our lives are meant to bring some form of blessing.  I pray that I, too, will be able to learn this important lesson as I encounter adulthood.

Please pray for my cousin, for her husband, for their sons, and for their extended family.

It is good to be stateside once again!  Do not misunderstand: I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and the Holy Spirit lifted my heart toward the Eternal.  However, two weeks away from my wife and son created in me a grave desire to be at home.  So, I am pleased to write from the living room of my humble abode.

In the days since my return, many people have inquired about my recent pilgrimage.  Some want to know about the scenery and sightseeing opportunities in Australia, some want to know about the World Youth Day events, some want to know about the youth who accompanied me on the pilgrimage.  "How was it?," everybody asks.  My replies have seemed inadequate; I cannot seem to find words to properly express the immensity and intensity of a pilgrimage to Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day 2008.  Alas, I will try to articulate two weeks worth of experiences and points of personal revelation into this post and ones to follow in the next days.

Indeed, there were many fascinating things to see in the Land Down Under.  From the day of my arrival, I was surrounded by the historical and cultural sites to be expected of such a global metropolis.  Such sites included the Sydney Harbour Bridge (I climbed it!) and skyline; the world renown Sydney Opera House; Hyde Park (whose namesake was built in London centuries earlier) and the statue of Queen Victoria; Parliament House and the former residence of the royal governor; Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay Wharf; Sydney's two oldest pubs (questions of which was older caused the need to visit both); and St. Mary's Cathedral, which is Australia's oldest Catholic Church and worthy of a separate post.

Encounters with Australian wildlife were quite common, too. Visits to two wildlife observatories yielded opportunities to view the world's most venomous snake, tiny penguins, seemingly infinite varieties of birds and butterfly species, wallabies, wombats (the best of all Aussie animals!), a Tasmanian devil, the world's largest cockroach, boxing kangaroos, and koala bears.  In addition to species found on land and air, I experienced a wide variety of aquatic life found in the south Pacific.  Most fascinating and beautiful in the Sydney Aquarium was the representation of the Great Barrier Reef, which gave a brief glimpse into that underwater paradise.

In the final days of the pilgrimage, I was blessed with opportunities to experience the Blue Mountains and Australian beach scenery.  The first wonderfully clear day provided breathtaking views of the sheer cliffs and cascading waterfalls, canyons stretching for miles covered in a light blue haze (created by oil from the eucalyptus tree), and fascinating rock formations.  On the following day, I witnessed a radiant sunrise on the Pacific horizon; framed by a tall cliff on one side and white foam created by waves crashing into the rocks near shore on the other side.  Finally, my body and mind were treated to a slow boat cruise around Pittwater Bay (north of Sydney), during which time I caught a glimpse of how long and far one could travel without interruption if such was his/her desire.

Aside from culture and wildlife, I also learned that Aussie food is delicious!  Actually, it is quite similar to our own culinary achievements with a few noticeable variations.  The best single food product that I tasted while in Sydney was, believe it or not, kangaroo.  It tastes like perfectly prepared beef tenderloin, and it is much better than emu (which tastes distinctly like liver).  Another delectable dish is fish and chips, an Aussie staple.  I was informed that, on most occasions, the fish of fish and chips is shark.  The chips of fish and chips are merely french fries, nothing fancy.  Pork sausages are grilled along with onions and served on slices of white bread. Although I was not able to sample, I heard on good authority that crocodile is fabulous as well.  Wheetbix is an amazing cereal (comparable to mini-wheats in the U.S., but MUCH MORE DELICIOUS).  Meat pies are filling!  Tomato sauce (actually ketchup with less sugar and salt) takes the place of ketchup.  TimTams (similar to Twix bars in the U.S.) are one of the best desserts in all the world!  All experiences were not positive, however.  I have realized that canned tuna is hardly palatable to me; and that any variety of baked beans other than barbecued leave a bad taste in my mouth.  Alas, I received one tidbit of personal revelation through all of these culinary ventures: God has never let me go hungry!  Regardless of what food is in front of me, I am thankful that I have food in front of me.

Click here to see some of the images from the pilgrimage. 

Of all the conclusions to be made from such encounters, one was paramount above the others.  I was reminded that God's majesty is infinite; and it can be found all over this huge planet, in places that are both obvious and unexpected.  The musings above are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  There are so many other experiences about which to write.  In fact, whole posts could be written on many of the ideas above.  Those posts will come in due time.

Until then, please join me in my prayers of thanksgiving for the universal Church, Pope Benedict XVI, the youth of our planet, Australia and all its culture, safe travels, and the opportunity to be at home once again with my family.

God bless! 

I have not abandoned the blogosphere, I'm simply trying to make sure that my duties to God, my wife and son, and my job are all completed first.  Remember the post below about all the exciting things going on in my life?  Well, that excitement has faded into fatigue and stress.

I seem to be getting everything completed in a timely manner.  However, completing those projects and tasks, as well as making time for prayer and my family, takes every ounce of my energy.  There is rarely anything left over to share with the cyberspace community.

Alas, I will try to find more time to write in the future (probably far into it since I'm preparing for a youth retreat and the World Youth Day celebration).  In the mean time, please keep me, my family, and my youth ministry in your prayers.

In the mean time, you might try out a few things that I've found to be enjoyable in recent days.

1. This article by Fr. Frank Pavone, which serves as a reminder of the world's inconsistent philosophy on the rights of individuals.
2. Reading classic fictional literature.  I am within twenty pages of completing The Three Musketeers, and I should like to pick up other books in the near future such as The Chronicles of Narnia series, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and others.  I'll return to history and theology after I have disembarked from the crazy train (is that ever possible?).
3. Enjoying a cold Sunset Wheat Ale by the Leinenkugel Brewery.  I tried it for the first time last night and found it to be…um…delicious!  It goes best with an orange slice.

I do hope to bring back plenty of pictures of the Land Down Under, so look for a post sometime around the end of July.

God bless! 

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!

Ahh, it is good to be able to sit down for a few precious moments of scribal bliss!  Only today have I been able to find the requisite time to spill my thoughts into the cyber domain.  I do expect, however, that the output of my fingertips will increase during the next weeks.

What have I been working on, you ask?  In the early days of this month, I was putting the final touches on a four-part Bible study that I created.  It is entitled "The Mass in Scripture and Scripture in the Mass," and it is TOTALLY AWESOME!!!  (That's according to the youth who were engaged in the study, not just me.)  Apart from that, I was conducting the final sessions of my high school Confirmation course and wrapping up the Spring semester of the youth ministry year.  Once both of those responsibilities faded into the rearview, I began to focus on the Summer ministry schedule, which includes a Steubenville youth conference and the World Youth Day celebration, along with budgets and schedules for the next fiscal and academic year.  I am also in the process of developing a four-year high school youth ministry catechesis curriculum; a high school Confirmation catechists' manual; and another Church History course, all of which will be added to my parish's faith formation repertoire.  The cliche is so true: "No rest for the weary."

Despite my physical fatigue, I am quite excited about a lot of things in my life.  First and foremost is my family!  My son is about to turn one; my wife is DEVOTED AND WONDERFUL to me; and I will get to spend time with my father on Fathers' Day for the first time in nearly a decade!  As you can see from the paragraph above, I am excited about the fruits (borne and unborne) of my labor.  Finally, the summertime is coming, and she brings (along with hellish heat) long hours of daylight, which are good for family time and work productivity.

Life is GOOD!  I have become quite settled and efficient in my life at this point.  I only pray that the personal growth, family love, and work productivity and effectiveness will continue into the future…until the day when we are called to be with God forever.  I also ask that anyone who reads this post keeps me and my family in his/her prayers as we continue to seek God's will for our lives together.

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!

Another fine article from an Illinois priest who has begun teaching…gasp!…TRUTH!

 http://www.humanaevitaepriests.org/

Enjoy!

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!